With These Eyes
by WildFlower084
Summary: She got a job offer and she took. So now, she's moving out of state. Saying goodbye is easy when you don't care but when feelings are involved, everything's different. BB all the way, of course!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This idea just wouldn't get out of my head and, even though I'm currently working on another big multi-chapter story, I just HAD to write it. It was inspired by a song called "With These Eyes" which got stuck in my head after I watched the look Booth was giving Bones in the last episode (yes, the very same one where he did stuff (I refuse to say the word lol) with a certain boss). Hope you enjoy. Tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer (since I forgot about it the first time): I own nothin' except... **

The last box was being labelled when Temperance walked into her officer, after getting herself some coffee. She felt tired and sad, the packing taking much of the small amount of energy she had in her. She had spent the previous evening packing her own apartment, helped by Angela, and they had finished late. She had woken up this morning feeling demotivated at the thought that she had to go pack her office now. She had had the surprise of her life when she had found all of her team at the Jeffersonian, on a Saturday morning, already packing her stuff. A quarter of her office had already been done. And now, four hours later, nothing was left in her office but her desk, chair and couch. Boxes were lined up against the wall, all labelled, and just waiting to be shipped.

Temperance walked in to find Zack sitting on the couch, looking exhausted, Angela sitting at her desk and Hodgins duct-tapping the last box tightly. He looked up and shot his boss a small smile.

"That's the last box." He said, hoping that his voice didn't betray the sadness he felt about losing his boss and friend.

"Thanks, you guys." Temperance replied. "It really means a lot to me. I don't think I would have been able to do all of this."

Angela smiled.

"No problem, Sweetie. That's what friends are for. We did it because we love you."

Everyone else nodded.

"I know." Temperance assured them.

Silence filled the room as words that should have been expressed remained bottled up inside of them. It was all so surreal to all of them. Dr. Brennan leaving the Jeffersonian? Nobody could quite believe it, but it was true.

The news had come to the forensic anthropologist a month earlier but Temperance hadn't felt the need to tell her team until it was a hundred percent sure she was moving. She had been offered a job by a Californian university and she had gladly accepted it. Sharing her knowledge with young adults who were as passionate as she was of forensics and anthropology simply just appealed to her. Finally, she was going to be able to teach everything that she had learned and, at the same time, still work on cases as a forensic anthropologist.

The rector of the university had given her a few days to think it over but they were short of teachers and needed an answer quickly. Brennan hadn't thought twice. Two days later, she was calling the man back and accepting his proposal. Two weeks later, she was telling her team.

"I can't believe you're leaving us." Angela whined for the hundredth time... that day.

"I know but it's not like I'll be gone for ever."

"Does that mean you'll be coming back?" Zack asked, suddenly getting hope that his teacher and mentor wasn't going to abandon him.

Brennan immediately looked away.

"No, Zack. I won't be coming back, except to visit once in a while."

They all fell silent for a couple of seconds. Then Hodgins felt the need to voice the question that had been bothering him for the past few hours.

"Does Booth know about this?" He asked as he got up and took a seat on the side of the couch unoccupied by Zack.

Brennan shook her head.

"No." She replied, in a small voice.

Hodgins, Zack and Angela looked at one another. Silently, it was decided that Angela would be the one to respond to that answer.

"Oh Sweetie, you _have_ to tell him."

"Why?"

Hodgins rolled his eyes.

"Because he's your friend and it's not fair to him if you just leave and don't tell him." Angela replied, ignoring Hodgins' 'duh' expression.

"Well he'll find out eventually." Brennan replied, hoping that this conversation would soon be over so she could go back to the comfort of forgetting purposely that she had to tell her partner she was leaving.

The first thought she had had after her second phone call with the rector had been about how she was going to tell Booth. Millions of thoughts had raced through her mind, several scenarios had been invented but she just hadn't had the guts to reenact them in real life. So, she had started with her team, hoping it would give her the courage to eventually make her way up to Booth. It wasn't that she didn't care about her team, she loved them dearly. It just wasn't the same.

She was closer to Booth than she was to her team. There was a connection between the two of them, a profound friendship and respect, an immense trust, and a bond so strong it could barely be broken. Every time she'd think of telling him, she felt like a part of herself was being ripped out of her. Then he had left for Florida, a week ago, with his son, and she hadn't had the guts to tell him before his departure.

She had run, avoided the situation. She had acted normally, pretending that she wasn't moving to another state on the other side of the country, that she wasn't going to work as a professor and a part-time forensic anthropologist for the FBI in Los Angeles, and, more importantly, that she wasn't going to have to work with a new partner. But she couldn't lie to herself anymore. She was going to do all of that, away from her friends, family and Booth.

Angela's voice brought her back to reality.

"So, what? You're not going to tell him? He's just going to walk in on Monday to find that your office is empty and _we'll_ have to explain to him that you left? What exactly would you like us to tell him when he'll ask us why you left without telling him?"

Brennan looked down, unable to stand the gaze of her friends on her. She felt guilty just at the thought of leaving without saying goodbye to her partner but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. It just hurt too much.

She felt tears well up at the back of her eyes. She forced them in. She had promised herself she wasn't going to get all emotional and cry.

"Just go see him, Bren. The man's been on vacation for the past two weeks and I heard he's back from his trip in Florida. He doesn't have a clue about what's been going on with you. He deserves to know."

Brennan nodded.

"Fine. I'll go."

Angela smiled.

With an eye roll, Temperance turned around. She was about to step out of her office when her best friend stopped her.

"Bren, one more thing."

"Yeah?" Temperance said, looking over her shoulder.

"Do us all a favor and just tell the man you love him, will ya?"

"Whatever, Angela." Temperance replied as she turned back around and headed out of her office.

Once she was out of earshot, Zack dared to voice his question.

"Do you think she'll tell him?"

"Nope." Hodgins replied.

"Daddy! Look what I can do!" Parker said as he rolled forward on the ground and came back on his two feet.

"That's great, Parker." Booth replied, only glancing briefly at his son. "Now, please, come sit down. Lunch's ready. I don't want to tell you a third time."

Parker sighed loudly.

"Fine." He growled as he stomped off towards the table.

Climbing onto the chair, he grabbed his fork and quickly scanned the content of his plate.

"I don't like carrots." The boy said, putting his fork back on the table and crossing his arms.

"Well you better eat them. If you don't, do you know what's going to happen?"

"What?" Parker asked, suspiciously.

Booth sat down on the chair beside his son. Looking into the little boy's eyes, he tried to remain as serious as he could as he replied:

"Because if you don't eat your carrots, you'll become blind. Blind as a bat."

Parker's eyes widened in surprise for a split second.

"Noooo! That's not true! Don't tell lies, Daddy."

"Oh I'm not lying, Parker. You know your grandpa on your mommy's side?"

Parker nodded.

"Grandpa Leon."

"Yes. Guess what? Grandpa Leon _never_ ate his vegetables when he was a young boy like you. Do you remember how thick his glasses are? He can't see without them because he never ate his carrots."

"Really?" Parker asked, still unsure about the whole deal.

"Yeah. Ask him the next time you see him. He'll tell you."

Parker turned his gaze back to his plate. Eyeing the carrots suspiciously, he picked one up with his fingers. Sticking out his tongue, he quickly tasted the vegetable.

"Yuck!" He said before taking one deep breath and biting into the orange vegetable.

He chewed slowly and painfully swallowed his mouthful seconds later, grimacing.

"Yep, Grandpa Leon... blind as a bat." Booth said, winking at his son.

Any response from Parker was stopped by the ringing of the doorbell. Frowning, Booth got up and walked to the door. He wasn't expecting anybody. Rebecca wasn't supposed to pick up Parker until the next evening and nobody knew he was back from his vacation with his son.

He opened the door and was shocked to find his partner standing outside.

"Bones? What are you doing here?"

She evidently looked uncomfortable.

"Can I come in?"

Even her voice sounded weird.

Booth nodded and stepped aside. He looked worryiedly at her as she walked into the house. Closing the door behind her, he tried to think of the reasons that would bring her here. She never had the habit of stopping by his place, especially out of the blue.

"What's up, Bones?"

She opened her mouth to speak but the words got stuck in her throat as her eyes fell on the blonde child sitting at the kitchen table.

" 'Ello, doctor Brennan." Parker said, from the kitchen.

"Parker..." Temperance replied, turning to Booth. "I see this is a bad time. Maybe I should just come back later."

"No, no. This isn't a bad time." Booth replied, grabbing her arm and stopping her as she stepped back towards the door. "You're not interrupting anything. Parker's just eating lunch."

"At two in the afternoon?" Temperance asked, confused.

"Yeah well he was busy doing gymnastics before."

Upon seeing her even more confused expression, Booth just told her to never mind.

"You were here for a reason?"

"Actually, yes. There's something I have to tell you."

"Okay. Shoot." Booth replied, glancing briefly at Parker to make sure he was still eating.

He looked back at his partner to find her looking anywhere but at him. He immediately wondered what was wrong.

"You see, Booth..." She started. "I... What I'm trying to say is that... I... The thing is..."

"Just say it, Bones, geez." Booth said, annoyed.

Irritated, she simply blurted everything out.

"I'm moving."

"What?" Booth asked, confused.

"I'm moving." Temperance repeated, relieved to have gotten the hardest part out. "To California."

"Whoa, whoa why?"

"I got a job offer and I took it."

"What kind of offer?"

Booth could feel his heart beating hard against his chest. Bones was leaving? His Bones was leaving? It wasn't possible. She hated change and now she was moving out of state to California?

He stared at her, wide-eyed, as she explained what had happened during his two-week vacation. He immediately blamed himself for leaving for these two weeks. Maybe if he would have stayed in Washington, he could have changed her mind about all of this.

"So yeah. That's basically it. I'm leaving tomorrow. My boxes are being shipped over there as well. I rented this apartment near the university. It's not big but it's not too small. It's just perfect for me. I mean, I doubt I'll be spending too much time there anyway."

But Booth wasn't listening. All he wanted was for this conversation to be a dream. He simply wanted to wake up in his bed, possibly still in Florida where his parents had a small beach house, and realize that this had been all a crazy dream. But as Temperance laid a hand on his arm, the pressure of her touch told him this was very much real.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concerned.

"Yeah." Booth replied, shaking his head slightly as if doing that would rearrange his thoughts. "It's just coming as a shock to me. I mean, I leave on vacation for two weeks and I come back to find out that I'm losing my partner. It's just a bit too much."

"I'm sorry, Booth."

"No, hey, listen. I'm happy for you, Bones. I know how much you like teaching. I know you'll be happy there. If you're happy, then I'm happy too."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Thanks, Booth."

"No problem." Booth replied as he pulled her into a hug.

Temperance stepped in his embrace willingly and even wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. They held on each other for several seconds before stepping back.

Millions of thoughts ran through Booth's mind as he looked into her eyes but only one kept coming back. He needed to tell her how he felt about her. He knew that it wouldn't change her mind about going to California but at least he wouldn't spend the rest of his life hating himself for not having told her how he felt when he had the chance.

"Bones, there's something I should tell you."

Temperance felt her heart speed up and was barely able to reply.

"I know. There's something else I need to tell you too. But you go first."

Taking a deep breath, Booth opened his mouth to speak.

"Bones, I..."

But the rest of his sentence was cut off abruptly by a crashing noise which was followed, seconds later, by a cry. Booth and Temperance immediately turned their gaze to Parker's now vacated chair at the table.

"Daddy!" A scared and bleeding little Parker said as he ran to his father at the front of door.

Booth's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh my God, Parker. What happened?" Booth said as he crouched down in front of his son.

Parker's lips began trembling.

"I wanted some milk and you were busy talking to Dr. Brennan and I thought I could get it myself. Please, Daddy, don't be mad."

Booth immediately brushed the few tears falling from his son's eyes.

"I'm not mad, Parker. Come on, let's get you cleaned up. You probably got glass in your foot. Does it hurt when you walk?"

Parker nodded.

Picking up his son, Booth turned to face his partner.

"I'm sorry, Bones but we have a little emergency here. We'll have to finish this conversation later."

"It's okay, Booth. I have to go home, anyway. I'm tired and I have an early flight tomorrow. Bye Booth."

"Yeah. 'Bye Bones."

Seconds later, as Booth reached the bathroom, he heard the front door close.

_**With these eyes  
I've held you in my arms  
And love was all I had  
But you had to end it all**_


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here is the chapter 2 I promised to one of my reviewers (forgot your nick, sorry!). It's a bit shorter than my usual chapters but I hope you like it anyway. I think it was better off as being a short chapter. Consider it as an 'in-between' chapter.

**With these eyes  
I've stood out in the rain  
I've listened for your call  
That never came at all  
**

He tried her home phone. She didn't answer. He tried her cellphone. An electronic voice told him the customer he was trying to reach was unavailable. He tried her number at the Jeffersonian to fall on another electronic voice to say that the number was not in service. He sighed frustratedly and looked at his watch. It was past nine. Where could she be and why had she turned off her cellphone?

Bits of conversations from earlier that evening came to his mind. Why had Parker chosen that exact moment to drop the glass on the floor and cut himself? He had been so close to tell her how he felt and now he didn't know if he'd have the chance to do it. And she had wanted to tell him something? Had it been the same thing as him? Had she been on the verge of professing her love for him?

He stared at his cell phone in his hand, debating whether or not to turn it off over the night. Maybe Bones would call him? After all, they hadn't finished their conversation. Was she too busy to call him? Had she already left? Where was she?

He dropped onto his couch and sighed. Bones was moving to California. He would never see her again, would never be able to tell her how he felt about her. Cullen would want him to find another partner but he wouldn't. If he couldn't work with Bones, he wouldn't work with anybody else.

A cry from the other side of the house reached his ears. Parker was probably having a nightmare. Sighing loudly, he got up from the couch and walked to his son's room.

The sun wasn't even up yet when Temperance's alarm clock pulled her from her slumber. She turned and looked at the time: 4:30 am. Her flight was in less than three hours and there were still some stuff to do. Angela had agreed to drive her to the airport and take her car back to her place. What she'd do with it once she was gone, Temperance had no clue and, frankly, she didn't really care. She couldn't really bring her car to California with her and the FBI was "giving" her a vehicle at her arrival and could keep it however long she needed it.

She turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She hadn't had her conversation with Booth. She hadn't really planned on telling him how she felt about him. It sort of have just happened when she had been in his arms. She had felt so safe and it had seemed so right that she couldn't believe that she was still leaving after what had happened the previous afternoon. She knew he had tried to call her over the day. She had seen his phone number on her caller ID several times and after four calls, she had shut off her cell phone. She couldn't bare to see his phone number one more time. It only reminded her of the things she had been supposed to tell him, and probably should have told him, but hadn't.

She sighed loudly. Maybe she shouldn't have taken the job in California. If she hadn't had, she would have been staying here, with her friends and family. But a part of her had also desperately wanted to go. It was something new, something she had never tried before and it had energized her. She would be discovering the world of teaching, of sharing wisdom. She would work possibly with a new team, would work for the FBI itself and not just as a liaison between two institutes. So now that she thought of it, maybe moving to California was a good thing. Russ said he would be joining her in a couple of months so they wouldn't be too far apart. She liked the idea of having her brother close by. She had missed him too much over all the years she hadn't seen him.

Her second thoughts now appeased, she closed her eyes one more time, stretched and yawned before getting up.  
As she rolled her sleeping bag into a ball, images of Booth filled her mind. She hadn't solved that thing yet and she knew that if she didn't, she would never be able to leave happily.  
She walked over to her suitcase. There was one last thing she needed to do.

"Wake up Daddy! Come on, waaaaake up!" Parker said as he jumped up and down on his father's bed.

Booth groaned before flinging his arm over his eyes. The sun was too bright, he had a headache from drinking too much the night before, all of Parker's jumping up and down was beginning to make him feel nauseous and his soul ached to have his partner right beside him.

He felt his bed stop moving and he figured that Parker had realized his father was awake. Seconds later, he felt a tiny body curl up against him. He pulled his son closer to him.

" 'Morning Daddy." Parker whispered.

Booth gently raked his fingers through his son's hair.

"Hey Buddy." Booth replied.

Even his voice spoke the sadness he felt. He opened one eye to find his son staring expectantly at him. A smile spread over the young boy's face at the eye contact with his father.

"I'm hungry." The boy announced.

Booth yawned and slowly sat up, the headache only growing worse and worse. 

"Go wait for me in the kitchen, Parker. I'll be there in three minutes."

"Okay!" Parker replied as he jumped off the bed and ran to the kitchen.

As he watched his son run out of the bedroom, Booth couldn't help but wonder how children could be so upbeat and full of energy at... Booth looked at his clock. Ten-thirty? He had slept that late!

Rubbing the sleep off his face, he headed towards the bathroom.

A shower was what he had needed. Surely his headache hadn't disappeared altogether but it was slightly appeased. Booth could hear Parker whining from the living room that he was hungry and dying of 'stavetion' (where Parker had learned the meaning of starvation, Booth wasn't quite sure) and he tried his best not to chuckle. His son could definitely cheer him up when he needed to.

He walked downstairs and walked towards the living room. Something at the front door caught his attention. A white envelope laid on the ground and even from far Booth knew who it came from. He picked it up and walked in the living room.

"Parker, did anyone stop by while I was in the shower?"

The young boy shook his head. Booth frowned.

"Was it there when you came down?"

Parker shrugged.

"I don't know. I didn't see."

Booth nodded.

"Parker, why don't you go play in your room before breakfast? I'll call you when it's ready."

Parker sighed before obeying. He didn't understand why his father told him to wait for him downstairs and was now sending him back upstairs. He just didn't make any sense. The boy stomped off towards his bedroom.

Booth looked at the envelope. It wasn't addressed, the front of the envelope blank. Flipping it over, he opened it and took out the single paper neatly folded inside. He recognized the writing immediately.

It didn't take long to read the letter. Temperance might have been better at writing her thoughts and feelings on paper but she was certainely succinct about them too. But even the simplest words went right into his heart.

He rapidly folded the paper back into the envelope, getting annoyed when one corner of the letter just wouldn't go in. Picking up his cell phone, he dialed the only number he could think of in this case of emergency.

"Hello?" A sleepy voice answered him.

"Angela? It's Booth."

"Booth... how are you?" Angela asked, surprised.

Had something happened to her best friend? Was that why Booth was calling her?

"Not too good. Please tell me Bones hasn't left for California already." 

"I'm sorry, Booth. Her plane was leaving at 7:30. Why? What's wrong?" 

Booth took a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself down. Bones had already left. His heart was racing madly inside his chest, his hands were slightly shaking and his headache suddenly became even more painful. He took a few seconds before answering Angela's question. 

"She wrote me a letter."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm so excited to post this chapter! I still have no clue where on Earth I'm going with this story although I do have some ideas. More ideas will welcomed after the next chapter (so Chapter 4) as to where you would like to see the story going. Anyway think about it and tell me after Chapter 4. :-) 

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The sun had been up for hours, birds, hidden in the trees, were chirping happily like nothing bad could ever happen to them. Bees were buzzing from flower to flower and, far away, a grass mower could be heard. But it was none of those that pulled Seeley Booth from his slumber.

The ring of his cellphone woke him up. Stretching slightly, he blindly reached over to his cell phone resting on the bedside table and brought it to his ear.

"Booth." He stated, his voice thick with sleep.

"Booth, it's Cullen. I'm sorry to bother you on your day off but I need you to come down to the Bureau."

Booth opened one eye and turned his head towards his clock: 10:45.

"What for?" He replied, wiping the sleep from his face with his free hand.

He heard his boss sigh on the other side of the phone. Booth slowly sat up in his bed, his whole body still aching from his mountain climbing the previous day with his brother.

"You're finally getting what you wanted." His boss answered. "Now get down here so we can talk about this."

At this particular moment, Booth had never felt more awake. 

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Getting ready had never taken him this amount of time. Actually, he could positively say, without a doubt, that he had accomplished a record this particular morning. Breakfast had never been swallowed so quickly and he had simply thrown on the first pair of pants and first shirt he had found. Sandals had completed this assemble and Booth had been out the door fifteen minutes after setting foot out of his bed. 

It was only once he had reached the freeway that he forced himself to slow down. After all, he didn't want to get in an accident this morning. He needed to get to his office as quickly as possible but he still wanted to get there in one piece.

But when Booth saw the line-up of cars, he cursed under his breath. 

"It's Friday for crying' out loud! How come there is so much traffic?" He asked himself out loud.

He turned on the radio. The announcer told him that an accident had occured on the freeway. Booth sighed frustratedly. Fingers drummed the steering wheel for a few seconds before Booth stopped, annoyed by his own behavior.

All he wanted was to get to the Bureau as fast as he could. His boss had told him on the phone that he was finally getting what he wanted. If he understood this correctly, and he was, the FBI had finally agreed to grant him his wish: being transferred to L.A.

Two years ago, Booth had lost his partner to that city. She had left him with only a letter confessing her feelings for him to remember her by but, most of all, she had left him with his own, unexpressed feelings.

His first reaction had been to take the first plane to L.A. to find her. An advice from Angela had changed his mind.

"I think it's better off if you just leave it like it is, Booth. She left for California and not even you will bring her back. I'm sorry to tell you this but you'll be wasting your time if you fly over there."

For some reason, he had listened to her.

So he had waited. A month or two had gone by and he still hadn't heard from her. He was going completely crazy without her, the image of her glued permanently in his mind. Wherever he went, he saw her. Every song reminded him of her. He had become obsessed and knew it. He just wasn't able to forget her. 

To his friends, his behavior was heartbreaking but had soon grown to simply being pathetic. They wished for him to get over her but nothing worked. Then suddenly, things had changed. Temperance had been gone for four months when Booth's behavior had gone from depressed and obsessive to active and carefree.

Then, a month after this sudden change, an FBI 'newsletter' had informed him of an available post in the L.A. division. Booth had run to his boss' office to inform him that he wanted to take the job. Cullen had simply laughed in his face. But Booth hadn't given up.

For a year, he tried at every opportunity he had to talk to his boss, but Cullen always had the same response:

"I know you miss your partner, Booth, but I can't just transfer you to another city because of that. You're staying here, Booth, and that is it!" 

This had taken place six months ago and after a while, Booth had just stopped trying. He started dating again, with no luck. He stopped trying to get transferred, much to his boss' happiness. But the less he tried, the more he missed her. The less he tried, the more he began to feel frustrated. He needed to see her again. His life had never been the same after she had left. He missed her. He needed to be with her. And, despite all the months that had gone by, he was pretty sure he still loved her.

Even after two years, she hadn't called. Angela refused to talk to him about her and Hodgins and Zack simply walked away the second he'd walk in the lab. Cam was the only one still talking to him and, as much as he liked her, he wished Angela would be the one talking to him. She had information on his former partner. He knew they had stayed in touch. How could they have not? But Booth just didn't understand why the artist played dumb every time he asked her about her best friend.

The traffic jam finally cleared up and Booth was finally able to get off the freeway, close to thirty minutes later. He could see the FBI building only corners away from the exit. He smiled. Soon enough, he would be able to get the answers to his questions. Soon, he would be in California and Temperance and him would be able to start things up again. 

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"Booth, I think you know why we're meeting." Cullen said as Booth sat down in a comfy armchair while his boss closed the door to his office.

Cullen walked over to his own seat and cleared his throat.

"For two years you have been... begging us, for lack of a better term, to be transferred to L.A. Your partner had moved there, you missed her and blah blah blah. Booth, I'd like to introduce to you Deputy Director Samson, head of the FBI headquarters in Los Angeles." 

Booth turned to the man sitting beside her and nodded curtly. The visitor did the same.

"Samson informed me that they were in great need of a new field agent in L.A. so I immediately thought of you."

Samson spoke up.

"You'd be working with Agent Christopher Dawson, a new recruit who's in need of a 'superior', if you will." Samson explained. "He's young, 30-something years old, pretty upbeat. I'm pretty sure you'd like him."

"Yes," Cullen continued. "the L.A. department recently lost their most talented field agent."

Samson nodded.

"I'm sure you've heard of him, Booth. Thomas Ritchie."

Booth shrugged. He had only vaguely heard of the story.

"He was a great man. Had two children, a boy and a little girl. His daughter is only three months old. Poor thing. She will never know who her father was."

Samson shook his head as though to push back the memory of his loss as far back in his mind as he could. He turned to face Booth.

"So, what do you say?"

Booth remained calmed.

"I'd be more than happy to be part of your team, Sir." He replied, looking at his new boss straight in the eyes to show him he was serious.

Samson smiled.

"Welcome aboard, Booth." 

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"You're going where?" Angela asked, her eyes wide in shock and surprise.

"Los Angeles." Booth replied, nonchalantly.

"Are you out of your mind?" 

"No. I just think it would be a good opportunity for me, that's all. I'll be training a new agent down there. The cases will be different, the environment will be different. It's a good change for me."

Angela rolled her eyes.

"Do you want to know what I'm hearing, Seeley? I'm hearing: 'I'm going to L.A. and maybe I'll be able to see Bones again.' That's what I'm hearing, Booth, and frankly I'm not liking the sound of it."

"And why is that?" 

Angela sighed before leaning towards her friend. Looking at him straight in the eyes, she gave him an answer.

"Brennan currently has a lot of things going on in her life. She doesn't need you to barge in also."

Booth gulped. It was the first time in two years that Angela was talking about her best friend. His heart began to race inside his chest and his throat went dry.

"You talked to her?"

Stupid question, Seeley. Way to go, man.

"Yeah I talk to her. She's doing so much better than she used to and I just don't want you to ruin the things she currently has going for her."

Booth frowned. What was Angela talking about? Did Temperance have a boyfriend? Had she found someone new? Jealousy immediately kicked in.

"You're not going to talk me out of seeing my former partner again, Angela. I miss her. I miss her a lot. There's not one day that goes by that I don't think of her. I just can't stand it anymore. She left me a letter telling me she was in love with me and that she was sorry she was leaving things like this between us. What would you do if you were in that kind of situation?"

Angela looked down.

"I'm going to L.A., Angela, and that's final."

The artist nodded.

Satisfied, Booth got up and was about to walk out of the office when Angela called him back.

"I know I can't stop you, Booth, but just hear me out on this one, okay? Whatever you learn there, please don't do anything stupid."

Confused, Booth nodded and walked away.

Angela waited a few minutes until she was positive that Booth wouldn't walk back in, demanding to know what was going on, before she grabbed the phone in front of her and dialed a number she knew now by heart. A few rings later, a man picked up.

"Hey Jaaaacob, how you doing?" Angela said, old flirtation habits resurfacing. "Yeah, actually, I need you to do me a gigantic favor." 

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Ooh! Any ideas as to what Angela is asking this mysterious man?


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Well I'm back and I'm very excited about it. Lots of drama coming soon, with a few surprises. Hope you like this chapter.

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He felt a rush going through him, an energy he hadn't felt in years. Since she had left... But now, being here, in the same city as her, he felt alive. He knew she was somewhere around here. He knew she wasn't waiting for him. Nobody knew he had been transferred other than his family and ex-coworkers. He just hoped that his surprise visit would make her happy.

His heart was beating so loudly in his ears, he barely heard his new boss talking to him.

"Agent Booth, this is your new office." Deputy Ronald Samson said. "The guy currently using it will be moving tonight and you will be able to take it Monday morning."

Booth nodded, numbly. A question was desperately burning his lips. He knew Bones was now working for this FBI and so there was a great chance that she was somewhere in the same building as he was, possibly in the basement since most of the forensics work was done down there. He tried listening to his new boss but found it impossible to do.

"Are you okay, Booth?" Samson asked him.

"Yeah. Sorry. I'm just tired, I guess. With all the moving and the travelling. I tend to space out a little when I'm tired."

"It's comprehensible. I just have one more thing to show you and then you can go home and rest. I'm guessing you found an apartment?"

Booth shook his head.

"I'm living in a hotel for now. I'll start looking for a place tomorrow. This move took me a bit by surprise and, in a week, I didn't have the chance to find an apartment here."

Samson nodded.

"Well this should only take a few minutes. I would only like you to meet our forensics team. You know, just so you can know who you are working with."

Booth's heart skipped a beat. The forensics team? Bones? Would he finally be able to see her after all these years? Would she be happy to see him?

He turned to look at his new boss and saw that the Deputy was looking at him weirdly. Booth smiled at him. The man simply nodded sharply before motioning to follow him.

Stepping into the elevator, Samson pressed the 00 button and the door closed. Both men remained quiet.

The elevator ride barely took a minute but, to Booth, time simply stood still. His heart hammered against his chest and he could hear it beating loudly in his ears. His hands felt moist and he was pretty sure that, the second he would step out of the elevator shaft, his legs would give out underneath him. He tried taking a few deep breaths, telling himself that maybe Temperance wasn't going to be there but nothing worked. He was nervous. Way too nervous. It had been two years. Two years of going insane was now coming to an end.

The elevator doors opened and both men stepped out into a dark hallway. They passed several doors, offices most likely, before stopping at one at the end of the hallway. Samson turned to Booth.

"We've got one coroner here, Dr. Symmes. He works down the hall on your left. You'll probably be dealing with him a lot. We've got two pathologists, Dr. Jacob Capowski and Dr. Paula Stromer. Our newest addition came to us two years ago: forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan. She's the best in her field, her former employer told us, and, I have to agree, she's pretty good."

Booth nodded. Dr. Temperance Brennan. His former partner. Right here, in this room?

Samson knocked on the door. His knocks were answered a few seconds later when a voice told him to come in. Booth's boss opened the door and stepped in. Booth followed closely behind him.

Dr. Stromer and Dr. Capowski, bent over a pretty beaten body, looked up at the newcomers. They smiled at their boss but their smile quickly faded when their eyes came to rest on the stranger in the room.

"Guys, I'd like to introduce to you our new field agent, Special Agent Seeley Booth. He comes to us from Washington."

Booth's eyes were immediately drawn to the man. The man tensed under his gaze.

"Hi!" Dr. Stromer said, enthusiastically. "I'm Paula Stromer, head pathologist here at the Bureau."

"Hey Paula..." Booth said, his voice briefly betraying the nervouness he felt at being here, talking his former partner's colleagues.

Paula smiled.

"I'm Jacob Capowski. People call me Jake." The man beside Paula added.

Booth only nodded.

"What have we got here?" Samson said as he walked over to the body.

"Missy Drum, 23 years old. Single mother of two. Killed by poison, possibly by the father of the children who wanted custody of the children." Paula replied.

"Who's case is this?"

Jacob picked up the file.

"Agent Simmons." He replied.

"Very good."

Samson looked at the time.

"Shoot, Booth. I'm so sorry. I won't be able to introduce you to the coroner. It's almost two and I have a meeting I have to attend. Feel free to wander the labs a little, get to know the place. I'm sure you'll be able to find your way back to the main floor."

"Yes, Sir." Booth replied.

"Good." Samson said as he walked back to the door. "Then there's nothing left for me to do than to welcome you in our team."

Booth nodded. Samson smiled in reply before walking out the door. Booth turned to the pathologists.

"I'll let you get back to work."

"You do that." Jacob replied, coolly.

Booth simply frowned before walking out the door.

Paula turned to her colleague.

"What's got into you?" She asked, confused.

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There was no need to visit the coroner. He'd get a chance to meet him sooner or later. Pressing the up button, Booth wondered where Temperance was. He had looked in every autopsy room to find them empty. He had thought to ask the pathologists about her whereabouts but the memory of Jacob's tone had stopped him from doing so. Why had he gotten the feeling that Dr. Capowski didn't like him? Did he know who he was?

A door behind him opened and Booth figured one of the pathologists had walked out of the autopsy room. He looked up at the number. The shaft was at the 4th floor. Six more floors to go.

"Agent Booth?"

Booth turned around at the sound of the voice to see Jacob jogging towards him. Booth frowned.

"Yes?"

The pathologist stopped in front of him.

"I know why you're here."

"What do you mean?"

"You're Tempe's former partner. You shouldn't be here."

Booth frowned once more.

"And why is that?"

"She's been through a lot without having you barge in her life. You shouldn't have taken this job."

"How did you know who I was?"

"I talked to Angela. She told me what you did. I'm telling you to go back to Washington."

Booth felt the anger rising inside him.

"I don't have to listen to you."

Jacob took a deep breath. Angela had warned him he'd have trouble with Booth. She had warned him that he would probably not listen to him. And just like he had been told to say, Jacob replied:

"If you truly care about Tempe, you'll just leave. She's got a lot of things going on in her life right now. She doesn't need this."

Why were they all saying this? What was going on in his partner's life that was so hard for her? They all said the same thing: that she was doing so much better, that she didn't need him to come barging in her life.

"Where is she?"

Jacob didn't answer.

"Where is she?" Booth asked once more.

This is getting ridiculous. He thought.

"She's gone on sick leave."

"Sick leave?"

Jacob sighed, loudly.

"Yes, sick leave. After all she went through, this was the best thing the Bureau could offer her."

"How long has she been gone?"

Jacob sighed, this time not out of frustration.

"Six months."

Booth frowned. Bones, gone for six months? What was going on here?

"Do you know where I can find her?"

"Don't do this, Agent Booth. Just quit while you're ahead. What you don't know can only be good for you."

"Jacob, have you ever been in love?"

The pathologist took a step back, immediately rising the barriers he was so good at putting around himself. Why was this stranger asking him this question?

"Yes. Why?"

His voice was shaking and Jacob cursed himself. Why did he always have to act like this?

"Then you'll understand why I'm doing this. I loved my partner, I still do. Before she left, she wrote me this letter telling me she loved me too. I never got the chance to tell her how I feel. It's been driving crazy for two years. Today, I finally have the chance to see her and talk to her. I missed a lot and I just can't live without her any longer. I just need to see her."

Booth sounded sincere and Jacob sighed again. He knew he'd regret his decision sooner or later. Taking a pen and a his notebook out of his front lab coat pocket, he quickly scribbled something down. Ripping the paper, he handed it to Booth.

"You didn't get this from me." Jacob told him before walking away.

Booth watched as the pathologist disappeared in what he guessed was his office. Then, turning the paper around, Booth glanced at it. An address. Her address.

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"Gavin, please turn the TV down a bit." Temperance said as she walked from the living room and into the kitchen.

"Okay." Gavin replied, grabbing the remote.

Temperance leaned against the counter. She was tired. So tired. Her head was pounding and she felt on the verge of passing out. She didn't know it was going to be so hard. The pain she had been feeling for the past year just kept coming back, no matter how hard she tried to push it down. It just kept resurfacing. Gavin wasn't helping but she needed to keep him here. He was better off with her.

Three loud knocks startled her. A faint sound emanating from down the hall reached her ears at the same time. She growled softly.

"Gavin, could you get the door please?" Temperance said as she headed towards the sound.

Nodding, Gavin got up and ran to the door. Unlocking the two locks, he immediately opened the door. His eyes turned round as they fell on the tall man standing in front of him, flowers in his hands.

He simply stood there, frozen. He didn't hear the footsteps coming towards him and barely heard her when she asked:

"Who's at the door?"

Seconds later, Temperance was joining the young boy at the front door. She froze in her path as she saw who was standing outside her apartment.

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I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this story. Feel free to review, I don't bite. ;-)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Only one tiny note for this chapter. You will find the word 'pan' in the chapter. Now I didn't know the english term for it so I had to translate it, in a translator, from french to english. So if the term isn't right (I know the word exists, I just don't know if I've used it in the right context), please tell me and I'll correct it.

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He knew instantly, from the moment she set eyes on him from inside the apartment, that the years spent apart had done something on their relationship. He felt it, from the bottom of his heart, that the happy reunion he had imagined would not happen. The air around them was growing denser by the second until Booth finally found it difficult to breathe. The flowers felt heavy in his hands and he immediately began to regret them. Maybe he had gone overboard with them. After all, he hadn't seen her in two years and for all he could have known, another man could have answered the door. What would he have done then? How would he have explained himself?

She was staring at him, dumbfounded. Booth tried to look in his eyes for a hint of what she was currently but saw nothing but tiredness. Taken by surprise, he began examining her.

She was rounder, like she had put on weight, and looked older somehow. Her brown hair had taken a grayish turn and the blue eyes he had for so long loved and cherished had followed the same path as her hair. The grayish blue staring back at him was nothing like it used to be. She was tired, he could tell. Was she sick?

"Brennan currently has a lot of things going on in her life. She doesn't need you to barge in also."

Angela's words echoed in his mind. Was that what Angela had been talking about? Was Temperance sick?

His gaze dropped to the little boy standing in front of her. Dark blond hair and brown eyes. Tall and skinny. About eight or nine, Booth quickly deduced by the height. Bones' son? No, it was impossible. He didn't look like her and, besides, he had known Temperance for five years, she would have told him she'd have a son. Especially a son his age. Then who was he?

That's when he saw it: the tiny bundle of pink Temperance was holding in her arms. A baby.

"Whatever you learn out there, please don't do anything stupid."

"She's gone on sick leave."

Booth's heart skipped a beat as everything fell into place. His partner hadn't left on sick leave, she had had a baby.

"Tempe?" A small voice asked.

Booth looked down at the child who was now staring at Temperance.

"It's okay. He's just an old friend." Temperance replied, her eyes never leaving her former partner. "What are you doing here, Booth?"

Booth cleared his throat.

"I came to see you." Booth replied. "And I brought you these."

He held the flowers in front of him.

"I can't really take them." Temperance replied, lifting her baby slightly.

"Right..."

Booth sighed. Why was this so hard? Why was it so awkward? It shouldn't be this way. They had been Booth and Brennan, partners, close friends. She had admitted to him, in a letter, that she had been in love with him. He had loved her too. So why was this not easy? Why couldn't he find the words to talk to her?

"Do you want to come in?"

"Yeah."

She stepped aside to let him in.

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From the living room, Booth could hear the little boy playing in his room. Temperance had nicely asked him to give them some time alone, much to Booth's contentment. There were things to talk to about, things to say and he didn't feel up to talking about it in front of an eight-year-old child. But the boy hadn't seem to mind as he had run down the hall to his bedroom, leaving the two partners alone in the living room.

The baby whimpered in her mother's arms.

"She's hungry. Would you mind giving me a minute while I warm up a bottle?"

It felt weird. It felt weird asking him if she could be excused because she needed to take care of her child. But it wasn't just with him. It felt weird with everybody. She had spent most of the last years saying she didn't want children, yet here she was, with a perfect angel in her arms.

"Yeah. Sure." Booth replied. "I'll just put the flowers in a vase. Got any?"

Temperance nodded.

"Yeah. In the cupboard, last shelf."

Booth smiled shyly at her. She smiled back.

The water boiled when Temperance set the plastic bottle into the pan. As she waited for the milk to warm up, she followed Booth's every move as he walked around her kitchen. She was amazed at how quickly he found stuff. She found herself smiling. As much as she wished he hadn't stopped by, she still felt a tiny glint of happiness at seeing him in her apartment after all these years. She knew that, soon enough, he'd want to know about Gavin and her daughter. She wouldn't tell him, at least not right away. She just couldn't. Not yet.

"I'm surprised you don't breastfeed her." Booth said as they sat down in the living room, five minutes later.

"I tried. Didn't like it." Temperance replied, hoping Booth would drop the subject.

Fortunately for him, he didn't ask more questions on the subject.

"How old is she?"

"Three months."

She looked down at her daughter who was hungrily sucking on her bottle. Had it already been three months since...? She couldn't bring herself to finish her thought. Just looking at her daughter brought back so many memories she simply wanted to forget. Every time she looked at her baby, she saw him. How could she not? They had the same brown eyes. She felt herself tearing up but she forced her tears back down. She wouldn't cry. Not in front of Booth anyway. He'd want to know what was wrong and she wasn't ready to tell him. Maybe eventually. But not now.

"What's her name?"

Temperance swallowed and felt herself blushing. She hoped Booth hadn't noticed the reaction his question had caused on her.

"Seelia." She whispered, her voice getting stuck in her throat.

Booth frowned.

"I'm sorry, what? I didn't get that."

Temperance took a deep breath.

"I said her name is Seelia."

Booth raised his eyebrows.

"Really? Wow! That's an... interesting name." He replied, a smile tugging at his lips.

Temperance rolled her eyes. Booth chuckled softly.

"And the boy?"

"That's Gavin. He just lives with me... for now."

"What do you mean for now?"

Temperance blinked back a few tears.

"His father died a couple of months ago. It was really tough on both Gavin and his mother. His mother just cries all the time and she doesn't take care of him. I take him with me, just a couple times a week to give his mother and Gavin a break. He's been doing much better since I've started doing that."

"Were you and Gavin's parents close?"

Temperance swallowed. She couldn't hide it, not from him, but she also couldn't bare to tell him the whole truth. The whole truth hurt too much.

"I worked with Gavin's father. He... he was my partner."

Booth nodded.

"How about you? What have you been up to?" Temperance asked, changing once again the subject.

"I got transferred here. I'll be working for the FBI here now."

"So I've heard."

"Jacob told you?"

Temperance shook her head.

"No, not Jake. Angela. Why Booth? Why did you do that?"

"I needed to see you." He replied, staring straight into your eyes. "I tried living without you but it just wasn't working. I needed to do something. Bones, I still love you."

Temperance momentarily closed her eyes. How long had she waited for him to say these words to her? She had been his partner for three years: three years of flirting and avoiding the subject of 'them'. That time seemed so long ago. What she had wished he had said earlier now had lost all meaning.

She felt more tears coming up. She sighed, angrily.

"Booth, so many things have happened since I moved here. I got a baby, my partner died, I'm helping to raise his son. I'm sorry, Booth, but too many things have changed."

"But in your letter you said..."

Temperance tensed. As if sensing her mother's feelings, Seelia opened her eyes and let out a small whimper. Temperance looked down at her daughter.

"It's okay." She whispered as she gently shook her.

Then, looking back up at her friend, she added:

"I think it would better if you just left."

Booth felt his heart being ripped out of him. Bones was throwing him out? He looked desperately at her, trying to see in her eyes what had once been there. But when she looked up, her eyes showed determination: she wanted him to leave.

Booth slowly got up and made his way to the door. He stopped, one hand on the doorknob.

"The only thing that's changed, Bones, is you." He said before opening the door and walking out.

Temperance closed her eyes at the sound of the door slamming.

"Tempe?"

She opened her eyes to see Gavin peeking shyly in the living room.

"Yes Gavin?"

She watched as the young boy's face contorted in pain. His lower lip began to tremble.

"I miss my dad."

In an instant she was on her feet. Setting her daughter in the playpen that never left the living room, she then gathered the young boy in her arms. She let him cry, knowing that he would soon feel better.

"I miss Daddy. I want him to come back." Gavin whispered.

"I know." Temperance replied, kissing the top of the boy's head. "I know."

I want him to come back too. She thought as she casted a look at Seelia.

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Okay, hopefully this didn't fall into the cliche category. If so, sorry 'bout that. Until next time... :-)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'm back! 

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Gavin had finally succeeded at crying himself to sleep and Seelia was quietly laying in her crib when Temperance finally got a minute to herself. Dropping onto her bed, she let out a loud sigh. Her head was pounding, just like it did every day of the week since she had given birth and her heart felt like it was beating directly in her ears. She felt another familiar pang of pain in her chest as the reality of things finally caught up with her. Thomas was dead, she had a daughter that she was raising on her own, she was taking care of her former partner's son and Booth had been transferred to Los Angeles which meant they would eventually be working together. He'd probably want to become partners again. Was she ready for that? After all they had been through together in Washington and after all she lived ever since she had moved, would they still be able to be 'just partners'? Would that be possible?

She turned to look at the time. Booth had left only an hour ago though it felt more like a century ago than only sixty minutes. Gavin had cried for over forty minutes before finally falling asleep. Temperance had gone to tuck him in in his bed before going back to the living room to fetch her daughter. She had tried rocking her to sleep but nothing had worked. So instead, she had set her child and her crib and left the room. 

She knew she had been tough on Booth, especially on the letter issue. After all, he had had the right to ask her about it but she just hadn't had the energy to deal with it right now. How could she when she barely even had the energy to deal with getting up in the morning. She was tired. No, tired wasn't the word. Exhausted was more suiting. How could she sleep when her daughter woke up during the night and screamed her lungs out? How could she take naps during the day when Gavin could barge in the room at any moment, crying for his father? Between her daughter and Gavin, she barely even had a minute to herself. Her want of independence had been flushed down the drain.

Reaching over to her nightstand, she picked up her cellphone and dialed a number she now knew by heart. She turned onto her side and stared at the ceiling, the ringing echoing in her ear.

"Hello?"

Her friend's voice startled her.

"Angela, it's Brennan."

"Hey Sweetie. How's it going?"

Angela's tone was soft and caring. Just hearing her best friend's voice made her miss her. She sighed. She missed Washington. She missed her friends, her brother, her old job at the museum. Heck, she even missed butting heads with Cam. It had been her life for so long that she had taking it for granted. Only now that she lived far away did she realize how important it had been. She had left Washington thinking her new life as a professor and an FBI forensic anthropologist would be great. If only she had known what California would bring her, she would have stayed in Washington.

"Been better." Temperance replied. "Hey, guess who stopped by today?"

Her friend's answer took her by surprise.

"He didn't."

"You knew about this? You knew he was coming here?"

"I tried stopping him." Angela replied, defensively. "I tried but he wouldn't listen. He just kept telling me how much he missed you and that he needed to see you. I called Jake and asked him to make sure that Booth didn't bother you. I really don't know how Booth got your address. I certainly didn't give it to him."

Angela paused for a brief second. When she spoke again, her tone had turned serious.

"Did he ask any questions?"

"Yeah." Temperance sighed.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him I was taking care of my ex-partner's son because his mother wasn't in the state of mind to do it herself."

"And you are?"

"Angela..." Temperance warned.

"Sorry. What about Seelia? He must have asked questions about her."

"He did but he didn't say much. He didn't even ask me who the father was or how I had got pregnant. I think he was more hooked up on Gavin than he was on my daughter."

"That's odd. I would have expected it to be the other way around."

"Tell me about it." 

There was a moment of silence, quickly filled by Angela. 

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, I guess. I still have headaches and I'm always tired."

"Are you sleeping well?"

"No." Temperance replied as if stating the obvious. "Seelia keeps waking me up in the middle of the night and during the day it's Gavin."

"Don't you send him to school?"

Temperance sighed.

"They keep sending him back because he can't stop crying."

"Do you know what you should do?"

"What?" 

"You should go out, just you and Gavin. Take him some place. There must be like a park or a mall or movie theatre in your area. Just go out, have some fun and stop thinking about Thomas for just one afternoon. You'll see. It will do you two so much good." 

"What about Seelia? I can't leave her alone."

"I'm pretty sure Jacob will babysit her for a couple of hours. He already volunteered to do it." 

"I know."

"So will you? Will you take Gavin out for an afternoon? It's not much. It's only two or three hours. I'm sure you can manage that."

"I guess."

"That's my girl."

Temperance forced a smile even though she knew Angela couldn't see her.

"Thanks, Ange."

"I know it's tough." Angela replied, sensing the sadness in her friend's tone. "But I promise you it will get better. Are you still taking your medication?"

"Yes."

"Every day?"

"Yes." Temperance replied, annoyed.

"Because they will help."

Angela's comment made Temperance wonder what the artist knew about the medication she was taking.

"I know."

Another silence. Temperance closed her eyes. Her headache was slowly worsening. What had first started as a pounding headache had now turned into a more 'crushing' one, as though somehow was slowly crushing her skull.

"Listen, Ange. I have to go. I think I'll take a nap while the kids are asleep." 

"Okay, Bren. You do that. We'll talk later."

On that, the two friends hung up.

Temperance laid her cellphone back onto the nightstand and sighed. Dragging herself out of bed, she walked to her bathroom. Stopping in front of the medicine cabinet, she opened it. The bottle stood on its shelf, at the exact same spot she had left it... a week ago. She sighed. Maybe she ought to make her medication. Maybe it would help. Grabbing the bottle, she unscrewed the top and opened it. Tilting the bottle, she watched as a tiny white capsule fell into her hand. She couldn't believe she had let herself get talked into taking medication. The body had been made to fend for itself against illnesses. She didn't believe she needed it yet, when her doctor had gently laid the prescription on her desk, she hadn't refused.

She dry-swallowed the white pill before re-screwing the cap of the bottle. She looked down at the sticker on the bottle. 

Temperance Brennan. Dr. Michelle Patterson, MD.

And, just above it, in thick block letters, was written the word she probably hated the most at the moment: Cipramil. 

Putting the bottle back in the cabinet where she was sure Gavin wouldn't be able to reach it, she walked back to her room and flung herself on her bed. She curled into foetal position before sleep soon came to claim her.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I was quite surprised at the lack of reviews I got about my last chapter. I'd like to thank Ronata for her feedback and just wanted to say that there will be plenty of B&B moments coming up, just be patient. Anyway, on with the new chapter (don't tell anyone but Booth is in this one lol).

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A lot of things can change in six months but the FBI building was not one of them. It looked exactly the same as Temperance remembered it before she had left, nearly seven months ago, on maternity leave. Her steps echoed off the quiet walls the same way it had back then and even the smell of disinfectant could still be detected in the air. The walls had been freshly painted but the color hadn't changed. The receptionist, good ole' Melanie, was still sitting at her chair, typing so furiously that Temperance wondered if the young woman ever got finger cramps. Melanie looked up as usual and her face lit up at the sight of the doctor.

"Dr. Brennan, it's so nice to see you." The young woman said as she got up and joined the anthropologist.

Her eyes fell on the stroller in front of her.

"Is this little Seelia?"

Temperance couldn't help but smile proudly at the sound of her baby's name.

"Yes. This is Seelia. She'll be four months next week."

Melanie smiled and bent down to get a closer look at the sleeping baby.

"She's adorable. She looks just like you."

"Actually, she looks more like Thomas."

Melanie looked up, her smile immediately vanishing.

"I am so sorry for you loss, Dr. Brennan. I heard what happened and I just couldn't believe it. You don't expect things like that to happen to such good people."

"If you don't mind, Melanie, I'd rather not talk about it."

Melanie nodded knowingly.

"Of course."

The receptionist took one more look at the infant before straightening up and slowly walking back to her desk.

"Is Jacob around?" Temperance asked, casually.

"Yeah." Melanie replied before checking the schedule. "He's down in autopsy room #2 with Paula. A decapitated body was found, this morning, in a basement of a school."

Melanie's disgust was apparent by her expression but Temperance couldn't care less. She forced a smile before nodding and walking away.

She missed her work. She missed the ambiance of the Bureau. She missed analyzing crime scenes and investigating murders. She looked down at her daughter. If only she could find someone to take care of Seelia, like a nanny, then she could come back to work earlier.

She pressed the down button and waited patiently for the doors to open. She watched as the numbers glowed in turn. The shaft stopped at the third level. She sighed. Third level: Thomas' old office was on that floor. Coincidentally, Booth's office had also been on the third floor. Pushing Booth out of her mind, she focused once again on the shaft's descent to the main floor.

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The basement, just like the rest of the building, hadn't changed at all. It was still the same stuffy and dark place it had been before Temperance had left and the mother found herself beginning to feel guilty about bringing her daughter down there. It probably wasn't the best place to bring a baby but she had promised Angela an afternoon out with Gavin and she was planning on keeping her promise. For this, she needed to see Jacob.

The door to the autopsy room opened and a very overwhelmed-looking pathologist stepped out the door. She stopped when her eyes fell on her colleague then the stroller in front of her. She let out a soft squeal.

"TEMPE!" Paula cried as she threw her latex gloves in the trash can inside the room and jogged to meet her friend. "Tempe, how are you?"

Temperance took a deep breath. Would she have the energy to keep up with over-enthusiastic Paula?

"I'm okay."

"And is this Seelia?!" The pathologist asked, excitedly. "She is adorable."

"Thank you." Temperance replied, forcing a smile. "Careful not to wake her."

It took her forever to fall asleep. Temperance added, mentally.

From the corner of the eye, Temperance detected more movement. She looked past her colleague to see two men stepping out of the autopsy room. Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest as her eyes locked with Booth's. She quickly looked away, unable to maintain the eye contact.

The two men slowly approached the women. Temperance shyly turned her gaze to her former partner. Booth forced a smile but even Temperance saw through it. She quickly analyzed it as being a sad one. She began to feel guilty. Two weeks had passed since Booth had stopped by for a visit and they hadn't spoken or seen each other ever since.

"Tempe, what are you doing here?" Jacob asked, wanting to divert his friend's attention from the awkwardness her reunion with Booth was filled.

Temperance's head snapped in his direction.

"I have a meeting with Samson about my maternity leave."

"When are you coming back?" Paula inquired.

"I was thinking next month but I might change my mind if Samson wants me back sooner."

"It's too bad you can't come back today." Paula replied. "A skeleton came in for us two days ago and we had to send it to San Fransisco to get it analyzed."

"You sent it to Dr. Goodwell?" Temperance asked, a hint of disgust and surprise in her voice.

"We didn't have a choice." Paula answered.

"Are you sure you're... well... enough to come back to work just yet?"

Her gaze shifted back to Jacob. She knew his intentions had been good but she couldn't help the feeling of annoyance that overtook her. She hated when people fussed over her and, ever since she had given birth and Thomas had died, it was all people ever did. They asked her how she was in a tone that made her think they thought she was going to break down at any second. They apologized for her loss, they asked her if there was anything they could for her. She knew they were doing what they thought was best but it had got old pretty quickly.

The look she sent her friend spoke volumes and Jacob immediately apologized. Sensing, once again, that there was more to it than what was being said, Booth frowned.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Nothing." Temperance immediately replied.

Then, changing the subject, she added:

"Jake, I actually also came here to ask you to do me a favor."

"Whatever it is, Tempe, it's yes." Jacob replied.

"Okay... I want you to take Seelia for the afternoon tomorrow. I'm taking Gavin out."

A smile tugged at Jacob's lips which didn't go unnoticed to Temperance. She forced herself not to roll her eyes.

"Angela asked you to do that?"

"She seems to think it's going to do us some good."

Jacob bit his lip. He knew better than to make a comment.

"I know what you're thinking."

"And what am I thinking exactly?" Jacob asked, teasingly.

"You're thinking she's right."

Jacob smiled.

"Perhaps."

Temperance sighed.

"So, will you?"

"Of course."

"Thanks."

From her stroller, Seelia began to whine.

"I better get going."

The two pathologists nodded.

"It was nice to see you again, Tempe." Paula said before walking to her office.

Jacob stepped up and softly kissed his friend on the cheek.

"See you tomorrow."

With a curt nod to Booth, she turned around and walked to the elevator. She heard Jacob retreat back to the autopsy room and she was surprised when a third pair of steps reached her ears. Without turning around, she could feel him getting closer. She closed her eyes.

"Why didn't you ask me?"

She turned around to face her old friend.

"What?"

"I said, why didn't you ask me? I'll take care of Seelia if you need to."

"Booth, I..."

"You would have asked me before."

Temperance averted his gaze. She couldn't understand why Booth had always had a way of making her feel guilty even when there was nothing to feel guilty about. So she had asked Jacob to babysit her daughter, who cared? After all, he did know her better than Booth. He had been present at the birth and was Seelia's godfather.

"I'm sorry, Booth. But I'm asking Jake."

Her tone told Booth her decision was final and he nodded. Then, taking out a piece of paper and his pen, he quickly scribbled something and handed it to his former partner. Temperance accepted it.

"Call me if you change your mind." Booth said before walking away.

She watched his back for a few seconds before gathering enough courage to say what she was going to say next.

"I'm not going to change my mind."

She watched as Booth stopped in his tracks. Temperance closed her eyes and waited, expecting her old friend to say something. But when he didn't and, instead, resumed his walk back to the autopsy room, Temperance opened her eyes.

The elevator doors opened behind her and Temperance stepped in the shaft.

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"Thank you, Tempe. I had a lot of fun today." Gavin said before yawning.

Temperance smiled tenderly at the boy as he climbed in between the sheets and settled himself comfortably in his bed. He was right. They had had a lot of fun today. Who would have thought that an afternoon with an eight-year-old at the pool, with ice cream, dinner and topped with a movie would have been so much fun? Who would have known that it was possible to forget, even if only for five hours, the accident that had taken your partner? For some reason, all of that had happened and, as much as she hated to admit it, Temperance knew Angela had been right.

"Maybe we'll do the same thing next Saturday." The boy added, hopefully.

Temperance's smile faded.

"Next Saturday, you'll be back home with your mom."

Tears shot to the young boy's eyes.

"Why? I don't want to go back. I want to stay here with you."

"I know." Temperance replied as she bent down and kissed Gavin on the forehead. "But she's your mother and she needs you. Besides, it's only for two weeks and then you'll be back here."

Maybe. She added in her mind.

Gavin nodded, sadly. He knew there was no arguing when it came to going back to his mother's house.

"When am I leaving?"

"Tomorrow night. But I'll come visit you and you can call me any time you want, okay?"

The boy nodded.

"Now come on, go to sleep. We've had a very busy day. You need your rest."

Kissing the boy one more time, she got up and left the room, closing the door behind her.

The apartment immediately fell silent. Seelia was sound asleep in her crib, Gavin would soon follow her in the blissful realm of dreams where Temperance was pretty sure the boy wasn't dreaming about car crashes and sirens. It was barely 9:30 but Temperance felt exhausted. Maybe she could take a bath, relax and go to sleep. Or maybe she would just lay down in bed and read. Deciding on the second option, Temperance walked to her bedroom. But her plans changed radically for as her head touched her pillow, sleep immediately claimed her.

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Music reached his ears and it took Booth a couple of seconds to realize where the sound was coming from. Opening his eyes and groaning quietly, Booth squinted, trying to make out the time on the VCR. 2:03 am. From the depths of his room, the cellphone rang, filling the eerie silence the hotel was plunged into once night came.

Mumbling about who would call at this time of night, Booth dragged himself out of bed and began looking for his phone. He remembered having it in his bag but where was his bag?

Booth cursed loudly as his toe collided with the corner of the dresser and again when he walked into the wall.

Why didn't I turn on the light? He thought, annoyedly, to himself.

Finding his bag at the door, he crouched down. His hand rummaged blindly in his bag in search of his cellphone. When he finally laid hands on it, he snatch it open and put it to his ear.

"Booth." He said, stifling a yawn.

"Booth..."

The voice had been so soft, Booth wasn't sure if he had heard anything.

"Please."

This time, he had heard it and the voice woke him up completely.

"Bones? Are you okay?"

No answer. He listened as what sounded like sobs and another background noise reached his ears.

"Bones?" He demanded, a little louder.

"Please..." He heard his friend beg him over the phone. "Help me, Booth."

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Better times are coming soon, I promise. Don't believe me? Then answer this question: have I ever let you down?

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	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Glad you guys are liking this story. Here's Chapter 8, hope you like it. It's kinda fluffy.

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Temperance listened as Booth rummaged through her bathroom in search of God knew what. She couldn't believe she had called him. It was funny how quickly old habits came back. She had needed help and her first instinct had been to call her old friend. And, just as he had done before, Booth had come to her rescue. She could still see the look of worry on his face when she had opened the door, only dressed in PJ pants and a tank-top, tears trailing down her face, eyes bloodshot.

"It's Seelia." She had whispered. "She just won't stop crying."

The baby's screams could be heard from somewhere in the apartment. Booth had only nodded and stepped in the apartment, later disappearing down the hallway and into the screaming baby's bedroom.

This had happened fifteen minutes ago. Now, Temperance sat on her couch, a blanket thrown over her to keep her from shivering, and waited. She waited for Booth to come back and demand answers from her. Because she knew he would, she knew he would find them. Nothing ever escaped him. Never.

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The cries pierced his eardrums and Booth was probably sure it would be deaf by the time he found what was wrong with his friend's daughter. He walked in the bathroom and immediately began to look for diapers but soon found that there was none. Did Temperance keep them here or in the baby's bedroom? He walked back to the room and set the baby back in her crib, making her cries rise once more. He rummaged through the room but found nothing. Where were the diapers? He had tried soothing the child back to sleep, had tried feeding her but Seelia had simply refused to eat. The only thing left he could think of was her diaper. He wondered if Bones had even though about it.

Give her a little credit. She's been raising this baby on her own for four months, she must know what she's doing.

Yet, as Booth looked around the room for diapers, he wondered if Temperance may have overlooked this aspect.

He finally found the half-empty diaper bag under the changing table. Fetching the baby from her crib, he set her on the table. The child screamed at the loss of human contact and Booth began to wonder if the baby just didn't simply want to be held. Pushing that thought aside, he undid the baby's PJ and open his diaper. Empty.

I knew it.

His eyes settled on tiny red spots scattered across the baby's area. Booth sighed in relief. Seelia had a rash, a pretty bad one at that, and it was probably what had been bothering her. Booth put back the diaper and grabbed the child.

He found his partner in the living room, at the exact same spot he had left her only minutes earlier.

"Do you have any cream?"

"Yeah. In the medicine cabinet."

Booth nodded before walking back to the bathroom. With one arm holding the young child against him, he opened the cabinet and began looking through it. Toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving cream, and razors greeted him. His eyes scanned the cabinet in search of cream. He finally found some and grabbed the tube.

Setting the baby down on the counter beside the sink, Booth quickly undressed the child and took off her diaper. He squeezed a bit of cream into his hands and applied it to the infected region. Seelia's cries immediately stopped. She hiccuped a few times before stopping completely.

"Is that better?" Booth asked her, smiling tenderly at the baby in front of him.

As if in response, Seelia smiled at him and squealed softly. Booth grinned as a warm feeling spread inside of him. He put on the diaper once more, redressed her in her PJ and brought her back to her room. He kissed her head lightly before setting her back in her crib. The baby smiled once more before closing her eyes. Booth was pretty sure that by the time he turned off the light and walked out of the room that Seelia had already fallen asleep.

He went back to the bathroom to clean up. He screwed back the cap of the tube and was about to put it back in the cabinet when a pink bottle grabbed his attention. Frowning, he set the tube down and reached over for the bottle. His heart nearly stopped when he saw the name of the medication. In an instant, everything began to make sense. Putting the tube and the bottle back in the cabinet, Booth then walked out of the bathroom.

Temperance looked up at him the second he walked in the living room. She tried reading him but found that she couldn't. If he had seen the antidepressants in the cabinet, then he was hiding it pretty well.

"She's asleep."

Temperance nodded.

"Thank you."

Booth sat down beside her on the couch.

"So are you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Temperance asked, innocently.

"Tell me why you broke down and called me?"

Temperance shrugged.

"Why not Jake? He seemed to be Seelia's appointed babysitter."

"You're the first person I thought of."

A smile tugged at Booth's lips.

"Well I'm glad you did."

Temperance nodded.

Booth examined her for a second. She looked tired, even more tired than she had looked the previous day at the Bureau. Her eyes were still red from all the crying she had done. His thoughts shifted to the bottle of antidepressants in the medicine cabinet and curiosity got the better of him.

"You know," he said, clearing his throat, "the third shelf of a medicine cabinet isn't the best place to store medication, especially since Gavin is tall enough to reach it."

No reaction. He tried again.

"Aren't you going to tell me about them?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Temperance lied.

"Bones, don't play dumb with me. I saw it. I saw the bottle of antidepressants in your bathroom. Either you be honest right now or else..."

Temperance looked at up at her friend, defiantly.

"Or else what?"

Booth smiled.

"Or else I'll tickle you until you blurt out that you're depressed and that's why you're taking meds."

"I'll admit no such thing."

"Fine then. You asked for it."

As he began to tickle her, Temperance let out a small shriek. She begged her friend to stop but her begging fell on deaf ears. The tickling intensified and in the middle of the attack, Booth managed to bring his former partner on her back. He watched in amusement as Temperance twisted beneath him, begging him to stop. Tears (of joy he hoped) began trailing down her face and she was breathing heavily. Finally stopping, he grabbed her wrists and pinned her down.

Temperance felt her heart stop beating as she watched Booth hovering over her. She could feel the warmness of his breath on her face. Her throat suddenly began to feel dry. His eyes stared down at her, searching her eyes for the truth she kept hidden far inside. In that instant, she felt like everything was how it was back in Washington.

"My doctor prescribed me medication about a month after I gave birth to Seelia for postpartum depression."

"Only for postpartum depression? Your partner's death has nothing to do with this?"

At the mention of her partner's death, Temperance felt the tears shoot to her eyes. A few managed to escape.

"So it's because of him you're like that?"

She struggled a bit but managed to push her friend off of her. She sat back up and violently wiped the few tears that had escaped. Without looking at Booth, she answered him.

"Let's just say his death doesn't help."

She looked briefly at him and saw the concern look his eyes often took back in Washington and suddenly she felt better. Sighing in relief, she wiped a few more tears before forcing a smile.

"Thank you for coming over."

"You're welcome." Booth replied, never taking his eyes off of her.

He could tell, simply by her reaction, that her partner's death had affected her more than she was letting him know and had turned her into something Booth thought she would never be able to be. He realized, in that instant, that the Temperance Brennan he had met years ago had changed drastically. Right now, as he watched her wipe her tears with the blanket, he knew that the change hadn't been for the better.

She turned to face him and their eyes locked. Booth felt himself drown in her sadness and began to feel her pain as if it were his own. He slowly reached over and grabbed her hand. She jumped, startled.

"I don't know what happened, Bones, but I just hope you'll feel better soon."

Temperance swallowed as Booth began to rub tiny circles on the top of her hand.

"Thanks."

Temperance tried to stifle a yawn, without luck. Booth let go of her hand.

"Come on, let's get you to bed. You're tired and you need your sleep. I'll take the couch. You go sleep in your bed."

"I won't sleep. Seelia is going to wake up in an hour."

"Not tonight. Tonight, you'll sleep because I'm here. I'll take care of Seelia when she wakes up."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

The two friends got to their feet simultaneously. Pulling her into his arms, Booth kissed her softly on the forehead.

"Good night." He said as they both stepped back.

Temperance nodded.

"Good night."

She was about to step into the darkness of the hallway when she came to a stop and turned around.

"Why are you so nice to me? And don't tell me it's because I help you catch bad guys because I don't anymore."

Booth smiled as he thought back to the first she had asked him that very same question. But this time, he would tell her. He would tell her the real reason why he was always so nice and compassionate with her.

"I missed you too much over the last two years, Bones. And while I was depressing because I couldn't see you anymore, you were going through some really rough times. If only I had known that, I would have flown to L.A. way before I did. Now that I'm here, I intend on helping you get better."

"You don't have to do that, Booth."

"Sure I do. The person you've become isn't you. What kind of partner would I be if I didn't stand by your side while you try to get back on your feet?"

"We're not partners anymore, Booth."

"You'll always be my partner, Bones. Always."

Temperance nodded.

"There's an extra pillow in the pantry."

"What about a blanket?"

"Just use that one." She replied, pointing the blanket she had been recently wrapped in.

"You really think I'll use the blanket you snotted on?"

"I didn't sn... There's another one in the pantry."

Booth chuckled. Temperance rolled her eyes. On that, she turned around and went to her room.

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I just couldn't resist the tickle attack. Sorry :-( lol


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I've been waiting for ages to post this chapter. Hope you like it.

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Noise in her kitchen is what rose Temperance Brennan from her sleep. Opening her eyes, she blinked a few times against the sunlight bathing her room. She turned around and looked at her clock. 11:45. She frowned, wondering how she had overslept. Then it hit her. Booth. He had spent the night. She sighed at the thought. He had been so nice with her even though she had tried to push him out of her life. He had rushed to her apartment after her call only a few hours earlier and had offered her to take care of her daughter. She didn't undersand. She couldn't understand how Booth could do all of that for her when she didn't even deserve it.

From her bedroom, she could hear Gavin babbling away in the kitchen. She smiled. Gavin. Such a sweet boy. She would definitely miss him while he went away to his mother's house but she reminded herself that it was only for two weeks and two weeks wasn't that long.

She laid awake a few more minutes and stared at the ceiling. She felt rested for the first time in weeks. Her depression certainly hadn't gone away but this morning, things seemed less hopeless.

She finally got up and walked to her bathroom. Booth was taking care of Gavin and Seelia. She would take a shower, blow-dry her hair and maybe even tie it in a ponytail today. Then she'd get dressed, maybe take Gavin and Seelia to the park once again before driving the young boy to his home. Yes, she'd do all of that today. She smiled as she turned on the water.

He heard the water running and knew that she was awake. He smiled. It felt nice to be here, in her apartment, cooking lunch for her daughter and surrogate son. He looked over at the croissants and coffee on the counter. Her favorite breakfast. He had gotten up early this morning to go down to the store to buy her something nice to eat.

He listened distractedly as Gavin went on and on about school and his friends. Booth could easily see what had attracted Temperance to the little boy. The child was simply adorable with his dark blond hair and deep brown eyes. The more Booth looked at him, the more the boy reminded him of himself as a child.

"When is Tempe going to wake up?" Gavin asked as Booth set his plate in front of him.

"I think she's already up. She's just taking a shower."

"Oh."

Picking up Seelia from her playpen, Booth then sat down at the kitchen table beside the young boy. He watched a few seconds as Seelia sucked hungrily at the bottle before turning his attention to Gavin.

"How long have you been living here?" He asked.

"Since a couple of weeks after my dad died." Gavin replied as he took a bite out of his sandwich. "All my mom did was cry all the time. I didn't like it because when she cried, I cried."

"What happened to your dad?"

"He was in a car accident." Gavin said as he looked down at his plate.

"I'm very sorry."

Gavin shrugged.

"Tempe is really nice. I like living with her."

"Are you here often?"

Gavin took a sip of his milk.

"Every two weeks. I'll stay with her for a couple of days and then I'll go back home. But one day, Tempe asked my mom if she could keep me for a little while longer. My mom said yes then they had a private talk about something. I think they talked about my dad."

"Did you know Tempe before the accident?"

Gavin nodded.

"My dad and Tempe were living together."

Booth felt his heart stop beating. He cleared his throat.

"Your dad and Temperance were living together?" He asked in a voice he hoped didn't tremble too much.

"Yeah. Dad said that they were really good friends and that he needed to move in with Tempe to help take care of the baby."

"Were they a couple?"

Gavin shook his head before frowning.

"I don't think so."

On the other side of the apartment, the water stopped. Seelia stopped sucking on her bottle. Booth looked down to find that the baby had already drank her entire bottle. Placing her head on his shoulder, he began rubbing her back.

"You might want to use a towel, Seeley. Seelia pukes a lot." Gavin said matter-of-factly before returning to his lunch.

A shower had completely revived her and now that her hair was dry she felt, for the first time in months, great. She could hear Booth and Gavin chatting in the kitchen and Temperance hoped that Booth had thought of feeding her daughter.

She tied her hair in a ponytail, the same way she had done in the past but hadn't felt the need to do it after Thomas' death, before throwing on a pair of jeans and a tank-top. She smiled. Maybe she'd put on make-up as well today. Her dark circles under her eyes weren't showing as much as on other mornings but she still felt like a bit of make-up would make her look nicer. For some reason she couldn't quite explain, she felt like looking nice today. A part of her mind told her it was because of Booth. She told told it to shush it.

The water had been turned off minutes ago when Booth finally wondered what his old partner was up to. Gavin had finished his lunch and was now watching cartoons and Seelia had fallen asleep in her playpen. Still sitting at the kitchen table, he scanned the newspaper in search of an apartment. The hotel he was staying at was sure nice but he couldn't really see himself living there forever. Three weeks had gone by since he had arrived in Los Angeles, he needed to get out of there.

"Whoa!" Booth heard Gavin exclaimed in the living room.

Thinking something 'amazing' had happened in his TV show, Booth didn't bother to look up.

He heard footsteps coming in his direction but only when someone cleared their throat did he look up from his newspaper. And what he saw left him breathless.

He stared with wide eyes at his former partner, all dressed up and wearing make-up. Rarely had he seen her like this and her appearance was a nice contrast to what she had looked like when he had first arrived in L.A. He felt his throat dry up and his heart speed up inside in his chest. Their eyes locked and Temperance offered him a shy smile. He replied with a smile of his own.

"Pretty hot, Bones." He said as she walked over the fridge.

"Thanks." He heard her mumble.

"There's croissants and coffee on the counter for you. "

Shooting her friend a surprised look, she walked over the counter.

"I went out to the store this morning and brought you breakfast. I figured you'd prefer your favorite breakfast over Fruit Loops."

"Yeah. Thanks." Temperance replied as she stuck her coffee in the microwave to heat it. "What are you planning on doing today?" She added as she waited for her coffee to be ready.

"Probably apartment hunting." Booth replied, dismissively. "The hotel's nice but I'm looking for something more permanent, you know?"

Temperance nodded.

"How about you?"

"I was thinking about bringing Gavin and Seelia to the park. It's a nice day, not too warm, not too cold."

Booth nodded. Smiling once more at her, he set down the newspaper and got up.

"Do you want me to come back tonight too or are you going to be okay?"

The microwave beeped. Temperance took out her coffee.

"I think I'll be fine."

Booth stepped closer to her until they were only inches apart. He looked down at her, eyes locking once more and he felt his heart speed up. When had been the last time they had stood so close that he could smell her shampoo from where he stood?

Their surroundings disappeared as he stared into her eyes. He searched them for the answers to the questions he had but found nothing more than what she had told him a few hours ago. He saw the same sadness, the same fatigue (though less apparent) he had seen the first day he had met her after being apart for two years. He sighed. How he wished he could help her feel better. But how could he when he knew nothing about what had made her this way?

"Call me if you need anything."

Temperance nodded.

Kissing quickly on the cheek, he grabbed his jacket and walked out the door leaving a dazzled Temperance behind him.

He took a deep breath then lifted his hand and knocked three times. He was pretty sure he ought to ring the bell instead since the house seemed pretty big and he doubted that the man would hear him but somehow ringing didn't seem appropriate. He waited a few more seconds, leaving the man some time to answer the door, but when nothing happened, he knocked louder. Seconds later, the click of a lock was heard. Booth took another deep breath.

Jacob opened the door and was surprised to see his friend's ex-partner on his doorstep. The look the agent shot him was one of begging and Jacob couldn't resist. He silently pushed the door open and moved aside to let his visitor in. Only when the door had been closed behind the taller man did he bother to say something.

"What do you want, Booth?"

The tone was cold and Booth forced himself not to punch the man in the face. He hadn't done anything to angry him and he just couldn't understand (and didn't really care for that matter) why Jacob despised him so much. At work, he was polite and professional but as soon as the two of them had stepped out of the Bureau, coldness immediately replaced politeness.

"I have questions and I want answers."

"If it's about Tempe, I'm not going to answer you. You should talk to her."

"She won't say anything."

"Then she must have a good reason." Jacob replied, glaring at his colleague.

Booth's jaw tightened as he forced himself to relax.

Beating the crap out of the guy won't put Bones on your side. Just calm down, Booth. He thought to himself.

"Look I don't know what I've ever done to you and frankly I don't care. I care about Bones... Temperance, though. I care about her a lot. And I know that she went through something very difficult with her partner's death and the baby and all. It's changed her in ways that you can't even imagine. It pains me to think that I wasn't there to help through all of that but now that I'm here, I'm not going to let her down. I promised myself from the first time I found out about her past that I would do anything to protect her from harm. I kept my promise in DC and I plan on keeping my promise here. If you care about her too then you'll answer all of the questions I have."

Jacob sighed and tilted his head as he considered everything Booth had just said. He did seem like an honest man and, if truth to be told, he didn't hate him as much as he wanted to. Sighing once more, he motioned to the couch in the living room.

When the two men had settled comfortably and that drinks and food had been offered but declined, Jacob started.

"What do you want to know?"

"This partner of hers? Were they close?"

"If you want to know if they were dating, the answer is no."

Booth sighed in relief. Jacob ignored it.

"They weren't dating but they did have Seelia together."

"That I had already figured."

"Look do you want the answers or not?"

Booth sighed frustratedly before motioning to his colleague to go on.

"It was a one-night stand, I think, and you know, accidents happen. She got pregnant, told Thomas and he immediately wanted to move in with her. He moved in when she was about six months pregnant. She was doing great for someone who didn't want to have a baby. Thomas was always there for her. Hey, he was able to tough out her mood swings and trust me, she had a lot."

Booth chuckled. It wasn't really hard to picture his partner with pregnancy mood swings.

"Oh, I believe you."

Jacob smiled.

"Then one night, Thomas went to visit his parents in Long Beach. He came back late at night, maybe around ten or eleven. It was pouring rain outside. I, myself, was coming back from a party and I couldn't see a thing on the road. She called Thomas because she thought she was going to have the baby. She had had a few contractions over the day but they were getting stronger and more frequent. Thomas, as protective as he was, sped up."

Booth nodded. He could see where this story was going. This typical car crash story.

"He kept telling her to stay calm, that he would be home as fast as he could. He didn't see the big truck coming. Tempe heard everything: the crash, the windows breaking, the sound Thomas' head made as it hit the steering wheel. Everything."

"Oh my God." Booth replied, his jaw dropping.

"She drove to crash scene but the paramedics took her to the hospital. Five hours later, she had given birth to her daughter and Thomas was pronounced dead in ICU."

Booth felt a lump forming in his throat. He swallowed painfully.

"She blames herself." Booth whispered.

Jacob nodded.

"She thinks it's her fault that he died. She had nightmares after that day. When Seelia was two weeks old, Temperance was sent to the hospital. She spent a week in the psychiatric wing. The doctors tried to get her to talk to them but she wouldn't. All she did was cry. After a week, they sent her home with a prescription for antidepressants. I think that if it wasn't for Angela, she wouldn't have taken them."

"That's the whole story?"

"Yes."

"What about Gavin?"

"Gavin is Thomas's son. Thomas and his ex-wife were still very close even after the divorce and when Tommy died, Eva simply shut down. All she did was lay in bed and cry. Gavin spent entire days at his neighbor's house because Eva didn't take care of him. A father's death is always hard on the children but when the mother can't get a grip on herself, especially in front of her children, then it doesn't help. Tempe stepped up, just like Thomas had done with her. She took Gavin, with whom she already had a pretty good relationship. She took care of him a couple of times a week. He started doing better and Eva as well. She didn't have to stress about taking care of her son and could concentrate on herself. She started going to a support group and she's doing so much better now."

"How about Temperance?"

"She's okay. She still cries often. It doesn't help that Seelia doesn't sleep either during the night. And during the day, it's usually Gavin who requires her attention. Temperance is a very strong woman but I think that everything simply caught up with her: the accident, the baby, Gavin, her past. I think everything just came crashing down and she freaked out."

"Does she think she's good mother?"

"She has her moments when she thinks she should just give up on Seelia, put her up for adoption or something. But then she remembers how it was like for her in foster care and changes her mind. I try to help out as much as I can since I'm Seelia's godfather but Temperance keeps pushing me away. She says she can handle it."

"That's my Bones."

A smile tugged Jacob's lips.

"Why do you call her Bones?"

Booth chuckled.

"It's actually a nickname I gave her when we first met because I found her weird that she loved bones so much. The name just stuck. It became more like a pet name than a nickname with time."

"You really care about her, huh?"

Booth nodded.

"We danced around a lot back in DC. There was definitely chemistry but she was too scared and too independent to be in a relationship. I dated other women but none could compare to her."

"Cam."

Booth frowned.

"You heard about her?" Booth asked, surprised.

Jacob nodded.

"Tempe mentioned her once or twice. She said that you two were over though when she left DC."

Booth chuckled as he remembered their breakup.

"It ended badly."

"So I heard."

Booth smiled.

"Angela told me about the letter and the reason why you asked to be transferred. I didn't think it was a good idea at first but now that I've gotten to know a bit, I'd be mean not to tell you this."

"What?" Booth asked.

"I think there's still hope."

"Hope for what?"

"The reason why Thomas and Tempe weren't together was because she was afraid she'd be betraying you."

"She told you that?"

Jacob shook his head.

"No but everybody could see it was because of you she didn't get involved. I think she secretly hoped that you would fly over to L.A. for her. I swear, Tempe has a romantic side."

Booth chuckled. He had a hard time picturing his friend as a romantic woman.

"If you want, Booth, I can help."

"Please, Jacob, call me Seeley."

"Seeley, huh?"

Booth chuckled as if reading his colleague's mind.

"I thought the same thing when she told me."

"Seelia is awfully close to Seeley." Jacob agreed.

The two men chuckled before Booth replied.

"Jake, I need your help."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I'm finally back. Sorry for the long wait. Hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

"Bones?!" Booth said as he opened the door to his friend's apartment.

No answer.

"Temperance?!" Jacob tried.

Still nothing.

Booth turned to his former partner's friend and frowned. Jacob stepped further into the apartment, searched each room before coming back in the kitchen empty-handed.

"She's not here?" Booth asked, surprised.

Jacob shook his head.

"She probably just went out with Gavin and Seelia. At least, that's what I hope for."

Booth closed the door behind him and took off his shoes.

"Well I guess that gives us a bit of spare time." Booth said as he walked in the living room.

"Are you sure it's really going to work?" Jacob asked as he watched Booth sitting down on his friend's couch.

"I'm hoping it will. I just won't tell her it's a date."

"I'm sure she'll figure it out sooner or later, Booth. That woman is pretty smart."

Booth looked up at Jacob and grinned.

"But when she will, it will be too late to turn back."

Jacob chuckled.

"So that's how you work!"

"Of course. It's more fun that way."

Jacob chuckled once more. Booth looked at the clock. It was nearly two-thirty. He lazily grabbed the remote control and switched the TV on.

"Any good channels in this city?" He asked in a tired voice.

"Channel 38."

Booth simply nodded and flicked the TV to 38, not bothering to ask his friend what type of channel it was.

* * *

The sound of keys in the hallway startled them. Switching off the TV, the two men stood up. Seconds later, the door pushed open and the tiny voice of an eight-year-old boy could be heard, followed by an irritated smile. Booth felt his heart start beating rapidly and he took a deep breath.

"We don't have time for this, Gavin. Your mother is going to be here in less than twenty minutes. We have to pack your stuff. I don't want to have to make her wait."

"I know, Tempe." Gavin replied, sadly.

Jacob cleared his throat. Gavin looked up, a large smile spreading across his face as his eyes fell on the pathologist.

"Jake!" The child cried as he ran towards the man and threw himself in his arms.

Catching the child, Jacob lifted him up in the air.

"Hey Buddy. How are you?"

"Tempe brought me to the park again and we had ice cream."

Setting the boy back onto the ground, Jacob walked up to his friend and kissed her sweetly on the cheek.

"Had fun?"

Temperance nodded.

"Booth's here." Jacob said before taking Seelia in his arms. "Come on Gavin. We'll go put Seelia to bed and then I'll help you pack."

The young boy nodded before following the man down the hallway, leaving Booth standing alone in the middle of the living room.

Booth smiled shyly at his friend before walking up to her.

"If I kiss you on the cheek like Jacob did, are you going to kick my ass?"

Temperance laughed softly before shaking her head. Booth slowly leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. Temperance closed her eyes at the contact of his lips on her cheek.

"Get dressed." Booth whispered in ear before pulling away.

"What?" Temperance asked, confused.

"Get dressed."

"I am dressed."

"I mean, change. Go get changed."

"And why would I do that?"

"I'm taking you out."

Temperance shook her head.

"Booth, I can't. I can't leave Seelia alone."

"Jacob will take care of her."

"Gavin is leaving in twenty minutes."

"We'll wait for his mother and then we'll leave."

Temperance sighed. She was running out of excuses.

"I don't know, Booth. I'm really tired."

"I won't take no for an answer."

Temperance sighed.

"Fine."

Booth beamed proudly, making Temperance chuckle.

A noise made her turn around.

"Did you know about this?" Temperance asked her best friend as he stepped in the living room.

Jacob shot her a sheepish look. Temperance simply rolled her eyes.

"You guys are unbelievable."

As she passed him on her way to Gavin's bedroom, Jacob was pretty sure he had seen a smile tugging at her lips.

* * *

"Gavin! Hurry up! Your mother's here!" Temperance yelled from the kitchen.

A muffled "okay" reached her ears.

"I'm so sorry." Temperance apologized for the tenth time since Eva had walked in her apartment.

"It's okay. I pretty much expected it. Gavin is just like his father, always late."

Temperance chuckled. How many times had Thomas arrived late at a meeting, always excusing himself with the lamest excuses Temperance had ever heard in her entire life?

"How are you holding up?" Eva asked her, her tone softened by the memory of her ex-husband.

"Better." Temperance replied, sighing. "I mean, it's tough. Seelia doesn't sleep, Gavin doesn't sleep. I don't sleep."

"Well, if it can make you feel any better, I really appreciate what you're doing. I don't know what I would have done without you."

Temperance nodded, touched by her friend's words.

"Well you certainly look better."

"I do, don't I? The support group really helps. I met some nice people who went through the same thing I did. You should have joined, Tempe. It would have helped you."

Temperance shook her head.

"I don't believe in psychology, anyway."

"There's nothing psychological about the support group. We just talk, say how we are feeling. Nobody judges, nobody laughs. Last night, the "moderator" of the group made us remember all the good memories we had of our loved ones. It was nice to remember Thomas as my husband and not as the man who died."

Temperance nodded, hoping Eva would soon change the conversation. She didn't want to remember. To remember the good times was to make the pain and the sorrow come back. Booth, somehow, in a day, had succeeded at numbing the pain she had been feeling for the past couple of months. She simply wanted to forget, to forget their conversation, to drown out the noise of the accident and the voice of the doctor telling her Thomas had passed away. Tears formed at the back of her eyes but she forced them back.

"Gavin!" Temperance yelled once more.

"I'M COMING!" A voice replied from the hallway.

Seconds later, Gavin was emerging from the hallway, pulling his heavy suitcase behind him. He smiled as his mother.

_Gavin looks so much like his father_. Eva thought to herself.

"What have you got there, son?" Eva asked, trying to sound cheerful.

"I'm bringing back all my stuffed animals."

"Why are you doing that? You're coming here in two weeks."

"I know but I'll miss them all if I leave them here."

Temperance smiled.

"You bring back as many toys as you want, Gav." Temperance told the boy, ruffling her hair.

Kissing him quickly on top of his head, she wished the boy didn't have to go. She had gotten used to having him around the house that now the apartment would almost seem empty. She looked up at Booth and Jacob to find them pretending not to be looking. At least, she wouldn't be _entirely_ alone.

Gavin looked up at her and smiled sadly.

"I'll miss you, Tempe."

Temperance pulled the boy to him.

"Two weeks isn't a long time."

"I know." Gavin replied.

Ruffling his hair once more, Temperance pushed the boy towards his mother. Eva smiled one last time at Temperance before opening the door.

"Thanks again, Tempe."

"You're welcome."

Waving one last time at the boy in the hallway, Temperance slowly closed the door.

She turned around to find Booth and Jacob staring at her. She forced a smile.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked Booth, taking the same tone Eva had taken with her son only minutes ago.

Booth swallowed.

"Hey..." He started but Temperance cut him off.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." Jacob replied.

Booth stepped up to his friend and put a hand on her shoulder. In an instant, Temperance was wrapping her arms around his waist. Surprised, Booth wrapped his own around her and pulled her to him. He gently rubbed as she tightened her hold on him.

She pulled away as quickly as she had claimed him to her. Stepping back, she tucked her hair behind both ears before forcing yet another smile.

"I'll be ready in fifteen minutes." She told Booth before walking off towards her room.

Booth sighed as he turned towards Jacob.

"She's always been like that." Booth explained, seeing Jacob's quizzical look. "She tells you she's fine then out of nowhere she simply grabs you and pulls you to her."

"I've never noticed."

"Really?" Booth asked, surprised. "Aren't you like her best friend or something?"

"Yes. But I think she only does that with you. I've never seen her do this before, not even to Thomas and they were close."

A smile tugged at Booth's lips.

_Interesting.

* * *

_

It was late by the time Booth and Temperance stepped out of the movie theatre. Somewhere in the city, a grandfather clock struck midnight. Temperance yawned.

"Are you tired? Do you want to go home?" Booth asked.

Temperance shook her head.

"Let's just walk around a bit. I don't feel like going home right now."

The feeling of emptiness she had feared was slowly coming back to her. Just the thought of going back to an empty apartment, devoid of Gavin and Thomas, scared her. She didn't want to have to deal with loneliness again. It was simply too hard. She knew Booth would be there too, that she wouldn't be completely alone but there was still a part of her who wanted Gavin to be home when she arrived.

Booth simply nodded. Crossing the road, they walked further and further from where Booth's car was parked.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, at least until they reached a small park not far from the theatre. The night was fresh, even for L.A. and a soft breeze was blowing. Temperance shivered.

"Do you want my coat?" Booth asked, concerned.

"No. I'm fine."

"Okay."

A short silence followed but was quickly broken by Booth. Million of questions had been burning his lips ever since he had spoken to Jacob but Booth had preferred waiting until the end of the evening to ask them. He hadn't wanted to risk her being mad at her and cut their date short.

"Bones, why didn't you tell me about Thomas?"

Temperance stopped dead in her tracks. Booth, quickly noticing she wasn't beside him anymore, stopped as well and turned around to face her.

"I didn't think it mattered." Temperance replied, avoiding his gaze.

"Bones, it does matter. He was your partner for two years, he's Seelia's father."

Temperance sighed.

"Who told you?"

"Oh come on, Bones. Give me a little credit here. Nobody told me, I figured that out on my own."

Temperance resumed walking. Booth followed.

"I don't know why I didn't tell you. I guess I thought that if I did, it would make the whole situation more real."

Booth nodded.

"Thomas and I were partners." Temperance continued, sliding her hand into his.

Surprised, Booth made no move to pull away. Instead, he linked their fingers together.

"We never dated but we did sleep together once in a moment of weakness, I guess."

"What had happened?"

Temperance glanced at Booth.

"I had seen my brother and my father."

"What?"

"It was the first time since the day they abandoned me in Washington. I was surprised. Dad and Russ tried to talk to me but I didn't want to. I pushed them away. Russ said something about me always pushing people out of my life, I got angry and left. I was a wreck and Thomas comforted me. In a moment of weakness, I kissed him and he didn't push me away. One thing lead to another and we slept together."

"He took advantage of you?" Booth asked, both angry and disgusted by her former partner.

"No." Temperance replied, coldly. "He didn't take advantage of me. He told me multiple times that we should stop but I didn't want to."

"Too much information, Bones." Booth replied, a weird edge to his voice.

A smile tugged at Temperance's lips. Booth was jealous of Thomas.

"Anyway I got pregnant, told Thomas, he stepped up. We moved in together since he didn't want me to go through the pregnancy alone. I gave birth to Seelia the day..."

"He died."

Temperance shot him questioning look.

"Jacob told me. I went to see him this morning."

Temperance simply nodded. Booth frowned.

"You're not mad?"

"For what?"

"I invaded your privacy. I went to ask questions to Jacob to find out what had happened to you."

"You had questions, you wanted answers. You simply did the logical thing. You went to get them."

Booth chuckled.

"Same old Bones."

"Actually, not really."

"I know."

Silence fell once again upon them. They continued walking, hand-in-hand. Somewhere in the park, a dog barked making Booth wonder who could possibly be walking their dog at that time of night.

"Did you love him?" Booth asked after a few minutes of silence.

Temperance didn't answer.

"You can be honest with me, Bones. I won't get mad."

"Yes." Temperance replied in a small voice. "Yes. I did love him."

Booth's heart broke.

"Did he love you?"

"I don't know."

Booth nodded.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? You made it quite clear in your letter that we were to go on with our respective lives and shouldn't live with what-could-have-been's."

"Did you find someone else while we were apart?"

Booth shook his head. Stopping in his tracks, he pulled her to a stop. She turned around and looked into his eyes, their hands never separating.

"I didn't try. For two years, all I wanted was to see you again. I waited weeks for you to come back. I thought I was going to go crazy. Ask anybody, they'll tell you."

Temperance forced a smile.

"I'm not mad at you for moving on. Maybe if I hadn't been in love with you, I would have done the same thing."

Temperance's heart skipped a beat. She continued to stare in his eyes, even as a weird look passed over them. Sadness soon turned to passion and Temperance could feel the air being knocked out of her.

"Why are you looking at me that way for?" She asked, her voice sounding different to her ears.

"Are you going to beat the crap out of me if I try to kiss you?"

A smile spread across Temperance's face.

"You keep asking me this? Are you that afraid of me?"

"Yes."

"Aww, come here."

Standing slowly on the tip of her toes, she placed a quick kiss on his lips.

"See? There's nothing to be afraid of."

Booth smiled before kissing her again, this time a little longer.

"Stop talking to me like I'm eight years old."

She kissed him again, quickly.

"Stop acting like one."

Booth gaped. Temperance slowly backed away from her friend.

"You're so going to pay for this Temperance Brennan." Booth said before launching for her.

Letting out a squeal, Temperance ran in the opposite direction.

Laughter could be heard throughout the park as Booth chased his friend all around the field. When he finally caught up with her, he grabbed her by the waist. Imprisoned in his arms, Temperance was unable to move away. She caught sight of the fountain ahead and before she even had the chance to voice her threat, Booth had scooped her up and was quickly walking towards the water.

"Don't you dare, Seeley Booth."

"I can't help it." Booth replied, laughing evilly. "I'm an eight-year-old boy who just loves to play pranks."

Booth held her above the water.

"Anything you would like to say before I drop you in the cold water?"

"I'm sorry." Temperance said in a small voice.

"I'm sorry but I can't accept that apology." Booth said.

Seconds later, Temperance was making a big splash as she hit the water.

"You're lucky I don't care much about my clothes." Temperance said as she stood up and climbed out of the water.

"That was fun."

Temperance glared at him and took a step towards him.

"Get away from me. You're all wet."

"By who's fault?"

Booth chuckled.

"Come on, let's walk back to the car and get you warm before you catch a cold." Booth said, his protective side rushing back to him.

"Stop it." Temperance warned.

She began walking towards the movie theatre.

"What?"

"Fussing over me. If I get a cold, it will be my fault."

"And why is that?"

Temperance stopped him and placed a kiss on his lips.

"Because I agreed to go out on a date with an eight-year-old boy."

Chuckling, Booth pulled her to him. And it's with his arm wrapped protectively around her waist that they walked back to the car.

* * *

**Tell me what you think-- was it too OOC for Temperance?**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I'm back!! Hope you like it! This chapter has been edited because of a mistake with a person's name. **

* * *

The smile was now back on Temperance's face and Jacob was pretty sure it was made to stay. He decided so as he watched her going about her kitchen, taking out pots, spoons and spices for the dinner tonight. So many things had changed in the past month that Jacob had trouble believing the woman in front of him was the same one he had known over the last year. She had put on the weight she had lost after her partner's death, the dark circles under her eyes seemed to have vanished forever and Jacob was pretty sure her doctor would soon be reducing her dose of antidepressants. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew Booth was the cause of the positive change. Since he had been back in her life, Temperance seemed calmer and at peace with everything. Even Seelia was benefiting from the return of her mother's former partner.

"Are you going to stare at me all night or are you going to help?" Temperance asked.

Okay, so many not _everything_ had changed, Jacob thought to himself.

"What do you want me to do?" Jacob asked as he rubbed his hands together.

"Wash these." Temperance replied as she handed him tomatoes. "Then cut them up in little cubes. I don't want them too big because Gavin won't want to eat them."

"Sir, yes Sir." Jacob replied as he grabbed the tomatoes and ran them under water. "Is Booth coming?"

"He lives here." Temperance replied as she pulled a drawer opened and took out a knife. "Of course he's going to be here."

"It's just that it seems like every time I'm here, he calls and comes up with an excuse for not coming home until later that night."

"That's not true." Temperance replied, half-heartily.

"You know I'm right."

Temperance sighed.

"Just wash the tomatoes."

The sound of keys reached their ears and the two best friends exchanged glances. Seconds later, the door was being pushed open and a tall, brown-haired man stepped inside the warm apartment.

In an instant, Temperance was dropping the knife she had been holding and running towards her boyfriend. Before Booth even had a chance to know what was going on, he felt a pair of lips on his. Wrapping his arms around his girlfriend, he pulled her closer to him and kissed her more deeply.

Uncomfortable, Jacob cleared his throat. The couple broke apart. Temperance turned around, her face flushed.

"Sorry." She said, sheepishly.

Jacob simply shrugged.

Booth grabbed her arm.

"What's he doing here?" Booth asked under his breath.

"He's making us dinner." Temperance replied, taking Booth's hand off her arm.

"I see _that_."

Temperance kissed him quickly.

"Stop being jealous and go get changed."

Booth sighed.

"Is Gavin here this week?"

Temperance nodded.

"He's in the living room with Danny."

"Who's Danny?" Booth asked, confused.

Temperance turned around and joined Jacob back at the counter.

"Just go get changed."

Booth simply frowned. Glancing one more time at his girlfriend and her best friend, he left the kitchen. In the living room, his eyes fell on a stranger sitting on his couch, Gavin beside him.

"Hi Seeley." The young boy said.

"Hey Buddy." Booth replied.

Booth's eyes met Danny's. The stranger smiled politely at him. Booth simply frowned before disappearing down the hallway.

The door to Seelia's bedroom was closed. He stopped in front of it, turned the knob and quietly opened the door. From the door, he could see the little girl laying in her bed. Her head turned at the sound of the door opening. Booth smiled tenderly at her.

"Hey you..." Booth whispered as he stepped up to the crib. "Did your mommy leave you all alone in your room?"

Pulling her out of her crib, Booth kissed the top of her head.

"Oh I love you so much." He said as he kissed her once again.

Seelia squealed in delight at the attention.

"In two weeks, it's going to be Christmas. And I have the perfect gift to give your mother. Yes, the perfect gift. I just hope that she will be as excited as I am about it."

Booth looked down at the little girl in his arms and smiled.

"Do you think she'll be excited?"

Seelia smiled.

"Yeah, I think so too."

"What are you two doing in here?"

Booth turned around to find Temperance standing at the door.

"Nothing." Booth replied, innocently. "We were just chatting."

"Booth, she's five months old. She doesn't talk."

Booth chuckled.

"Give me my child."

"With pleasure Bones." Booth replied as he handed the baby to her mother. "Because I think someone needs their diaper changed and I'm not doing it."

Booth winked at his girlfriend before walking out of Seelia's bedroom.

Once Temperance heard the door to her bedroom close, she looked down at her daughter.

"It's too bad you can't talk. I know Booth and I know when he's planning something. You could have told me what it was."

Feeling slightly stupid for talking to a five-month-old baby, Temperance laid her daughter on the changing table and opened her diaper.

* * *

"This needs a little bit more garlic." Jacob said as he set down the wooden spoon and grabbed the bottle of spices. 

The kitchen smelled of spices when Booth stepped inside the kitchen twenty minutes later, freshly showered and changed into comfy, home clothing. Temperance smiled at him, her heart racing mildly in her chest. She would never get used to seeing him like this.

"Well this is ready." Thomas said as he turned off the element.

"Okay. I'll set the table. You try to get Gavin to wash up before dinner. Booth, could you heat up Seelia's dinner? It's in the freezer."

"And what have you got planned for her tonight?" Booth asked as he looked on the fridge at the calendar Temperance had posted on it.

A detailed plan of Seelia's dinner for a month met his gaze.

"December 13th... Pork, carrots and asparagus."

Booth grimaced.

"Gross, Bones. Watch what you're feeding your child. She _is _a person, after all."

Temperance rolled her eyes.

"Stop complaining and just take the food out of the freezer."

"Man she's bossy tonight." Jacob said teasingly as he walked out of the kitchen.

Temperance shook her head as a smile spread across her face. One look at her boyfriend's expression washed the smile away.

"Would you stop being jealous?" She asked as she turned to the cupboard and opened it.

Taking out five plates, she began to set them on the table.

"I'm not jealous. I just can't help but think that this guy might have a crush on you, that's all."

Temperance rolled her eyes.

"Booth, you have nothing to be jealous about. Jacob is gay."

"I mean, he's spending way too much ti—_ Really_?"

Temperance turned around.

"Yes, really. Now are you going to stop being jealous of him?"

Booth pressed the Start button on the microwave.

"So you mean that Danny is..."

"Jacob's new boyfriend, yes. And if you make one tiny comment about how not-Catholic their couple is, I'm kicking you out of my apartment."

"What makes you think I would make a comment?"

"Well isn't homosexuality forbidden by the Bible or something?"

"Can we _not_ talk about this right now?"

Temperance glanced at Jacob who was staring at them from the living room.

"Just try to be nice. I know you don't like him very much."

Sliding her arms around his waist, she pulled him to her.

"So what were you and Seelia chatting about?"

Booth rolled his eyes as a smile tugged at his lips.

"Christmas."

"Christmas?"

Booth kissed her forehead.

"Yes, Christmas. I was telling her about how Rebecca has agreed to let Parker come down here for the holidays. I hope you don't mind that I took that decision without telling you first."

Gavin stepped inside the kitchen.

"What are we eating?" The young boy asked as he sat down at his spot.

"Spaghetti." Temperance replied, letting go of Booth.

Danny and Jacob, with Seelia in his arms, joined them in the kitchen and Temperance glanced briefly at her boyfriend.

"Is there vegetables in it?" Gavin asked, grimacing.

The microwave beeped. Booth opened the door and took out Seelia's tiny plastic bowls. Jacob set the baby in her high chair while Temperance tied a bib around her neck. A duckling watched as everybody took their spot at the table and Jacob began serving everybody.

"It's Jacob's special recipe. You like it, normally."

Temperance grabbed the bowl of asparagus. Bringing the tiny spoon to her upper lip, she tested it. As her tongue tasted the vegetable, Temperance was reminded of how much she hated asparagus when she was a child. Mentally, she told herself she'd erase it from Seelia's menu.

* * *

Booth lowered the volume of the TV and surfed through the channels in search of something interesting to watch, waiting patiently for Temperance to be done putting the children to bed so they could finally spend some quality alone-time together. The evening had been far from quiet and Booth was more than happy when Jacob and Danny announced they should heading back home. 

Booth settled for re-runs of CSI. Bringing his feet on the coffee table, he leaned back in the couch and closed his eyes.

"Feet off the table, Booth." He heard minutes later.

"Jacob was right. You _are_ bossy."

Temperance sat down beside him and slapped him playfully on the arm. Bringing him arm around her shoulders, he pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you."

Temperance sighed, happily.

"I know."

"Are you happy, Bones?"

Temperance looked up and their gaze locked. They remained still, staring into each other's eyes for a few seconds before Booth felt the need to break the silence.

"You haven't answered my question."

"I don't know what happiness is, Booth. I can't answer you. I know what it is scientifically but..."

Booth shook his head.

"I'm talking emotions here, Bones. Not science."

"Everything is related, Booth. Science and emotions are linked together. One depends on the other to work properly. Without a biological base, emotions are nothing."

"I thought you hated psychology." Booth said as he ran a hand in her hair.

"I do."

Temperance smiled tenderly at her friend.

"To answer your question. If being happy is how I'm feeling right now, then yes, I am happy."

Booth smiled before slowly leaning in and claiming her lips with his.

They kissed tenderly for a while until passion took over them. Booth's hands found their way inside her shirt and he was slowly pushing the material up when he felt a pair of hands on his chest, pushing him away.

"Booth, we can't. Gavin is here."

Her plea fell on deaf ears.

"Then don't scream as loud." Booth replied as he began sucking on her neck.

"I do not scream." Temperance said, indignantly.

Booth chuckled. Pulling her shirt over her head, he added:

"That's what you think."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: It's Christmas in June!! Oh well, it's been so warm where I live this week that a bit of "coolness" won't hurt. Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

It didn't feel like Christmas at all. There was no snow on the ground, the temperature was warm compared to the one in DC that time of year and the only Christmasy thing in the apartment was the Christmas tree Booth had forced his girlfriend to put up. No decorations, no lights, no nothing else. Sitting on the couch, watching his girlfriend stuff the children's stockings with candy and small toys, Booth sulked.

"This sucks."

Temperance sighed and looked up.

"I'm sure your son will be very happy to hear that, Booth."

Booth stood up and walked to the window.

"I mean, look at this. There isn't even snow. Parker won't even think it's Christmas."

"It's Southern California." Temperance replied, already back to the stocking at hand. "Of course there isn't any snow. As for your son, I'm sure he's going to understand."

"How can you get in the Christmas spirit if there isn't any snow?" Booth went on, ignoring his girlfriend.

Temperance simply shrugged.

Booth turned around and stared at his girlfriend, a smile tugging at his lips as he watched her stuff the last toy in her baby girl's stocking.

Looking at it and deciding that it was fine, Temperance placed it with the others.

"Done." She said as she stood up and wiped her hands on her pants.

"Seelia's first Christmas."

Temperance nodded. Booth wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. Sinking back in his embrace, Temperance sighed happily.

"Never mind." Booth said as he kissed the side of her head. "I know how I'll get into the Christmas spirit this year."

Temperance tried to disengage herself from his arm as Booth began trailing kisses down to her neck.

"Booth, we don't have time for this." Temperance said. "You have to pick up your son at the airport in forty minutes."

"We have enough time." Booth replied, lifting the hem of her shirt with his left hand.

Temperance shivered at the touch of his rough skin against her stomach. She let herself get lost in his touch for a few seconds before logic and reality came rushing back to her.

"It's at least a twenty-minute drive to the airport, excluding traffic."

Booth stopped in mid-kiss and Temperance used this opportunity to pull away from him.

She turned around to find him giving her his sad puppy look. She chuckled softly, shaking her head.

"Don't give me that look, it's not going to work."

"It usually does." Booth replied, in a childish manner.

"Well not today."

Giving him a quick kiss on the lips, she turned around and walked out of the living room.

"You should get ready to leave." He heard her say from down the hallway.

Booth simply chuckled and shook his head.

* * *

Checking his watch for the third time in two minutes, Booth decided to sit down. Fear that something bad had happened to his son's plane began pulsing through his veins and horrible scenarios played in his mind like a really bad movie. The plane had been supposed to land at 11:30 and it was now past quarter to noon. Had something happened during the flight that had forced the plane to land in emergency somewhere across the country? Was Parker frightened? Rebecca had assured him that his son was flying with her cousin who was visiting her family for Christmas. Was that person with him at the moment?

Taking his cell, he dialed the number to his apartment. He waited impatiently for Temperance to pick.

"Come _on_." Booth mumbled under his breath.

The man sitting next to him casted him a weird glance.

"Hello?"

"Yeah Bones it's me. Where _were_ you?"

"I was changing Seelia's diaper. What's wrong?"

"Has Rebecca called by any chance?"

"No. Why? Did something happen to your son?"

"I don't know. The plane is close to twenty minutes late. The woman at the information desk doesn't know anything. I swear, if his plane hasn't landed in five minutes I'm..."

"Jumping into a plane and going to look for him?"

"What?" Booth asked, confused.

He heard his girlfriend chuckle on the other side of the line.

"Just relax, Booth. Flights are delayed all the time. Parker's going to get there, don't worry. He wasn't flying alone, was he?"

"No. Rebecca's _superb_ cousin is with him."

"See? Even if something did happen, he's with someone he can trust. Booth, listen, I have to go. Seelia needs to be fed. I'll talk to you later."

And before Booth even had the chance to say something, he heard the click telling him she had already hung up. Shutting his cellphone, he put it back in his pocket.

Glancing at his watch, he sighed and began tapping his foot.

* * *

"We're home!" Booth announced as he stepped inside his apartment.

Parker shyly followed him inside and closed the door behind him.

Temperance emerged from the living room, her daughter in her arms and smiled politely at Parker.

"Hi Parker."

Parker shyly smiled back.

"You remember Dr. Brennan, Parker? She used to be my partner back in DC."

Parker nodded.

"I remember."

"And the baby in her arms is Seelia."

"Hey that's like your name, Daddy!"

Booth chuckled and Temperance found herself blushing.

"Yes, we've already established that, Parker." Temperance replied, looking anywhere but at Booth.

Booth smiled before looking down at his son.

"Come with me. I'll show you where you will be sleeping."

Parker picked up his suitcase and followed his father.

Passing his girlfriend, Booth stopped briefly.

"I think Seelia is a great name." He whispered in her ear.

She heard him chuckle as he walked away. She watched father and son disappear down the hallway before turning back to her daughter.

"Maybe I should have called you Dorothy, like your father wanted." She told her before kissing the top of her head.

Sighing at the momentarily feeling of loss she often felt when she thought of her former partner, she immediately rebuilt her wall and straightened her shoulders.

"Let's go play in the living room." She told her daughter.

* * *

"Can we open some presents tonight Dad, please?" Parker begged, adding at least three more syllables at the word please.

Booth, who was laying on the ground, playing with Seelia, looked up at his son.

"I don't know, Buddy. We're going by Temperance's tradition. You'll have to ask her. It's..."

Ignoring the rest of his father's answer, Parker ran to the kitchen.

"Temperance, can we open some presents tonight?" Parker cried as he began searching for his father's girlfriend.

Booth chuckled and turned back to the little girl on the ground next to him. She had changed since the first time he had seen her. Her features were slowly transforming and Booth found himself practically staring at a baby version of his girlfriend. The brown eyes, Booth suspected, was the only thing the child seemed to have gotten from her father. Dark brown eyes, just like the ones he had. Maybe his plan would work after all.

"You're just the cutest thing in the whole world." Booth said as he pet her hair. "Your mother is really lucky to have you."

Seelia simply stared at him. He smiled tenderly at her for a second before giving her a small kiss on the forehead. Then, grabbing her toy duck, he handed it to her.

"Tempe said we could open two presents tonight!" Parker said, running back to the living room and stopping just short of Seelia.

Booth looked up at Temperance who had appeared in the room.

"Two presents but that's it. We have to leave some for tomorrow." Temperance said as she joined the trio.

Lifting up her daughter, she gently placed the child in her playpen before sitting down beside her boyfriend.

"This one is from Mommy." Booth said as he grabbed a box Rebecca had sent him a few weeks before and handed it to his son. "And this one is from Temperance and I."

Booth and Temperance watched as Parker quickly unwrapped his presents and a large smile stretched across his face.

"Thanks Dad!" Parker said as he looked, wide-eyed, at the video game in his hand.

"What is it again?" Temperance whispered, while Parker examined the box carefully.

"It's the latest popular video game." Booth replied. "Parker has been begging for it since his birthday. I finally found it in a used video games store two weeks ago. There was only one copy left."

Temperance nodded. She had no clue why that particular video game was the most popular since, to her, it pretty looked like all the others. But Parker seemed thrilled to have his game and she wasn't even surprised to hear him ask his father if he could play that night.

"Sorry Buddy but it's already late. Come on, unwrap your mother's present and then it's straight to bed. You wouldn't want Santa to see you awake, now would you?"

"Dad." Parker replied. "There is no such thing as Santa."

"What do you mean there is no such thing?" Booth asked, surprised to hear his son claim something like that.

Turning to his girlfriend, he asked:

"Santa exists, right?"

Then, seeing her about to answer, he quickly added:

"You know what? Don't answer that."

Temperance glared at him, offended.

"Where did you hear that, Parker?"

"I heard it from James."

"Who's James?"

"It's Mom's new boyfriend's son. He's 12, you know. And he told me that Santa Clause doesn't exist."

"Well that was pretty rude of him." Booth replied. "You know, Santa exists if you choose to believe in him. It doesn't matter what others think. As long as you believe, then he's for real."

Parker seemed to hesitate.

"Well... I kinda do believe but..."

"It's okay, Parker. I'm not forcing you to believe in anything."

Parker smiled, still not completely reassured.

"Come on. Open your mother's present and then I'll go tuck you in."

Parker nodded, his spirits immediately lifted by the thought of opening another present.

The neatly-wrapped box contained a new pyjama with a matching bathrobe. To Temperance's surprise, Parker didn't turn away disgusted. Instead, he looked up at his father and beamed.

"Now I have one just like yours." He said, happily.

Booth nodded.

"Yep."

"Can I wear my new PJ tonight, Dad?"

"Of course you can. Go change in your room and call me when you're ready. We'll go put Seelia to bed."

Parker nodded before grabbing his box and running out of the living room. Seconds later, they heard the door to Gavin's room close. Booth turned to his girlfriend and smiled.

"I think he liked his presents."

"I think _like_ is an understatement."

A smile stretched across Booth's face.

"And what did you get me for Christmas?"

"What makes you think I got you anything?" Temperance replied, teasingly.

"You wouldn't dare."

Temperance giggled.

"And what did you get me?"

Booth was about to answer when a shout from Gavin's bedroom reached their ears. Excusing himself, Booth pushed himself up and walked over to the room where Parker was patiently waiting for him, already under the covers.

"Did you tuck yourself in?" Booth asked, as he walked in the room and saw his son already in bed.

Parker shook his head.

"No. I was waiting for you."

Booth chuckled and walked over to the bed. Sitting beside his son, he ruffled the blond curls.

"Parker, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"But you have to promise me to keep it a secret. Can you promise me that?"

Parker nodded vigorously.

"How would you like to have a little sister?"

"Eeew. A _girl_?" Parker asked, disgusted.

Booth chuckled.

"Well, she's still a baby. It's Seelia."

"How can Seelia be my sister? You're not her daddy."

"You see, Parker, not everybody has a mommy or a daddy. There are some people who don't have parents."

"Why?"

"Well, there are a lot of reasons. Sometimes, there are grown-ups who adopt children who don't have parents."

"What does adopt mean?"

"It means that the grown-ups become those children's parents. Seelia doesn't have a daddy and since Tempe and I are a couple now, I thought I would adopt Seelia. So Seelia would become my daughter, just like you are my son. Do you understand what I'm saying, Parker?"

"Uh-huh."

"So what do you say? Would you like Seelia to be your little sister?"

"Will I be able to play with her?"

"Maybe not yet but when she's older, you two will be able to play together."

Parker tilted his head, as if considering the disadvantages of having Seelia as his younger sister. Booth watched him in amusement, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Well..." Parker started. "I guess because it's Seelia, it's okay."

Booth chuckled.

"Good." Booth whispered. "Now don't forget. It's our little secret."

Parker put his finger to his lips.

"Ssshh."

Booth nodded.

"Ssshh."

Parker yawned.

"Okay Buddy, time for bed. You've had a long day. It's late for you, right now. It's past midnight in Washington."

Laying down on his back, Parker pulled the blankets up to his chin and closed his eyes. Booth bent down over him and kissed him tenderly on the forehead.

"Good night, Parker."

"'Night, Daddy."

Booth got up and walked to the door. Turning around one last time to look at his son, he turned off the light. He was about to close the door when Parker's voice stopped him.

"Daddy, why isn't there any snow outside?"

Booth simply smiled.

"Go to sleep, Parker."


End file.
